The Masks We Wear
by Amaya Verascola
Summary: For readers new and old, this story is officially being rewritten. But don't worry, I'm not deleting the original, so you're free to read this version if you're also patient enough to wait for the new one.
1. P3 Start!

Time never waits.

It delivers all equally to the same end.

You, who wish to safeguard the future,

However limited it may be…

You will be given one year;

Go forth without falter,

With your heart as your guide.

.

"Due to a malfunction in the switching system, today's rail schedule has been greatly altered. We apologize to any customers in a hurry. The next stop is Iwatodai…"

Inside the New City passenger train Anehazuru sat a young girl in a school uniform, surrounded by a sea of strangers. The lone girl was in for a long ride and was lucky enough to find a vacant seat early in her journey. She turned her mp3 on to the highest volume, up to the point where her seat neighbors could hear every word the powerful female voice was singing_. "I will-"_

'Burn my dread.'

_'I once ran away__  
__From the god of fear__  
__And he chained me to despair_'

Tatsumi Port Island.

It was a new place, with a new school, with new friends. That was how Minako's caretaker talked of this change. The way she worded it, anyone would mistakenly follow her guidance expecting some kind of heaven. Minako, of course, was expecting the doors of hell to open soon. Why was she forced to come back here? Her aunt knew what this place meant to her. She was just sick of feeding an extra stomach and pawned her off to some school for the next year. Some family.

The train reached the end of the tunnel when the last of the daylight shined through the windows. There she could see the silhouette of the bridge. She remembered that place very well. Better than she would have liked to.

_'(Burn my dread)__  
__I will break the chain and run,__  
__'till I see the sunlight again -___

_I'll lift my face,__  
__and run to the sunlight...'_

"Iwatodai. This is the final train bound for Iwatodai. Please take care to board before our departure."

The conductor's voice was drowned out by the ocean of people spilling out of the train, leaving only Minako seated, having not heard the conductor's announcement. One of her seatmates, an older man maybe mid-forties, turned back to face her, as if to give her a heads up, but the young girl seemed to move on her own, shoving her way past the man who only tried to show some common courtesy.

The large digital clock in the station flashed 11:59. She was late. She would wake up the entire dorm at this rate. A rude awakening to start off their meeting was definitely not something Minako was rooting for. It was bad enough she was here, but she certainly didn't want to make any enemies. If anything, she wanted to keep as low a profile as she possibly could. The less she bonded the fewer goodbyes she would make when she finally leaves this place in one year's time. As the seconds ticked away, an ominous feeling came over Minako. She recognized this feeling as she watched the clock change to midnight.

Everything instantly powered down, including her mp3 player. The whole lot went dark, the nearly full moon seemed to shine bigger and brighter, and the sky was dimly green. Where there used to be a sea of people now there was a sea coffins. A red blood-like substance seemed to ooze from every corner. The air was still and silent, with only an echo of her footsteps as she bravely trekked into this horror film-like environment.

.

The trip was silent. There was no other soul in sight, and it was creeping Minako out. She passed by a darkened convenience store and she swore she saw something move. She shouldn't have psyched herself out like that. She knew what kind of environment this would be. It didn't change from ten years ago.

Minako took out the map that located her new dorm and unfolded it. It was a little hard to read in the dim light, but she realized she passed the building a few blocks back. She turned back on her heels to return onto her quest to find her new home for next year. It didn't take long to find the correct building. She walked up the steps and rang the doorbell before remembering the power outage. Does she knock? Would anyone hear her if she did? Minako tested out the doorknob before anything else.

It was unlocked. The thought didn't occur to her that it might be the wrong building. Breaking and entering, here she comes.

"Welcome, I've been expecting you."

Minako turned to the side where behind a desk stood a young boy in striped pajamas. _Actually, more like a prisoner's uniform. That's not a good sign. _The boy had long bluish black hair that almost covered his right eye and a little mole right below his left eye. In fact, the boy seemed eerily familiar…

"You're late. I've been waiting a long time." He spoke cryptically and eerily. Chills went up and down her spine.

"If you want to proceed, then please sign here." He said, gesturing to a piece of paper of his desk. "It's a contract."

Minako was hesitant.

"What's it for?" she questioned the boy, but to no avail. He was a stubborn one, alright.

"There's no need to be scared," _Um yes there is_, the silent girl thought. "It only binds you to accepting the full responsibilities of your actions."

_Ah. There's the catch._

Just in case the paper tried to claim any ownership of her internal organs, she gave the contract a quick read.

'I chooseth my fate of my own free will'

What is this boy setting her up for? Alas, she had no choice but to sign it, if only to make the boy go away.

The boy smiled as she placed her signature at the bottom of the contract.

"Very good.

Time is something no one can escape. It delivers us all to the same end. Wishing won't make it go away. And so it begins."

And with that incredibly obscure speech, the boy disappeared, as if melting into the darkness …

.

"Who's there?!"

A scared, feminine voice let out from the near distance as a girl ran down the stairs, scared out of her mind. Her eyes widened when she caught sight of Minako.

"How can you… but it's…"

Her eyes narrowed as she reached for the gun strapped to her thigh.

"Don't tell me… you're …"

"Wait!" Now there was another voice. This was turning into quite the first meeting.

All of a sudden, everything started again, as if nothing stopped from the very beginning. The lights flashed on and Minako's mp3 player began blaring out music, surprising the girl just a bit. Not as much as a gun to one's face, but surprising nonetheless. The third girl's face was now visible as she stood in between them, blocking the other girl from Minako's vision.

"I didn't think you'd arrive so late. My apologies." She said politely. She definitely seemed civil enough, almost aristocratic. _She definitely comes from a rich family. _"I'm Mitsuru Kirijo, and I'm one of the students who live in this dorm."

Wait, Kirijo? That name certainly rang a bell. Minako couldn't tell from where, though.

The other unnamed girl stared at Minako suspiciously. "And who's that?"

"She is a transfer student. It was a last minute decision to assign her here. She will eventually find a new dorm but for now, this was the only dorm with space for her."

Well, that's definitely a warm welcome, isn't it?

"This is Yukari Takeba, she is a junior just like you." Mitsuru motioned for the other girl, Yukari apparently, to come face her. She gave her a sheepish smile and a 'nice to meet you' as if completely ignoring the whole gun fiasco.

A few awkward seconds ticked away. Finally, Minako spoke up asking the one question both girls wanted to avoid.

"Why do you have a gun?"

Instantly, Yukari's face turned to sheer horror as she turned to Mitsuru for assistance. The older girl carried her signature smile that will get her out of any trouble.

"You know how it is these days, we need something to protect ourselves. Don't worry, it's not a real gun."

Oh, she's good. Minako still didn't believe her, but Mitsuru seemed like the kind of person who could talk her way out of anything.

"Well it's getting late. You need your rest for tomorrow." Mitsuru said. "I can guide you to your room. Your things have already arrived, so need to worry about that. Takeba, if you could turn the lights off behind us, that would be greatly appreciated."

Minako turned back towards Yukari Takeba, who still seemed a bit shaken. She probably just needed some alone time after whatever phenomenon that was that just happened. She followed Mitsuru up the staircase to the third floor. Neither spoke much, but Minako would rather have it that way anyway. They approached the last door at the end of the hallway. Mitsuru turned to face her.

"This is your room. My room is this way, should you need any more assistance." She spoke with a smile that seemed almost sincere. Or maybe it was. It was hard to tell with this kind of person.

She let Minako open her door as she turned to leave before stopping again. "Oh, and if you'll please not mention the events that occurred tonight within the school building, I would deeply appreciate it." And with that she walked to her own door before closing it gently behind her.

Minako did the same and only when she knew she was completely alone did she let out of relief.

_Well, that was a lovely start to a new year._

.

The alarm clock from hell started buzzing. Why, oh why, was the alarm clock the first thing she unpacked? She could've just as easily unpacked her books or laptop, but no she had to go with the one item she deemed to be most hellish. She slammed her hand onto the clock as fast and hard as she could. She could swear she saw a little crack forming on the tiny plastic box. Minako then proceeded to wrap herself back in her blankets and was so close to dream land. Unfortunately, a knock on the door ruined it for her.

"Can I come in?" Dammit. She forgot where she was for a moment. She assumed her aunt would come bursting in their usual morning routine to force her out of bed.

Minako gathered the entire blanket around her in some sort of sluggish cocoon and reluctantly left the bed to open the door. On the other side of the door, Yukari waited. Upon first glance of the transfer student's self-made cocoon, she resisted the urge to snicker until she realized the urgency of the situation.

"You're not dressed yet? We have to leave for school." Goddammit, Minako didn't want to hate Yukari but she was ruining her sleeping time. Scratch that. School was ruining her sleeping time. She w-as so used to living right next to her old school that she would literally roll out of bed at the last second to leave.

"Sorry, but the school is a little ways off, so we need time for the trip." Yukari said with a carefree smile on her face, as if not understanding her own situation. Minako began to stare her down with her sleepy gaze before proceeding to shut the door.

"Leave without me." Was her muffled reply.

Yukari panicked. "No way! Mitsuru-sempai asked me to show you the way to school. She'll have my head if you don't show up for the first day! Please!"

Sensing her desperation,(who was this Mitsuru Kirijo to instill so much fear?) Minako decided to comply, also not wanting to make enemies with the girl who carries the (possibly fake) gun. She dressed quickly like she usually did, not forgetting to do her hair in her usual style. Fresh faced and perfectly buttoned, she exited her room and sashayed down the hallway, waiting for Yukari to follow and eventually guide her to the Iwatodai Station where she arrived from late last night.

.

Inside the city train, Minako felt a sense of déjà vu. Probably from the train ride last night.

"We have to take the monorail to get there. Bet your last school wasn't like that, huh?" Yukari chatted, well she mainly carried the conversation while Minako replied in a series of yes and no's.

"Oh, oh! This is my favorite part... when it feels like you're gliding over the sea." She exclaimed while peeking blow from the window. Out of curiosity, Minako looked alongside her. It really was as she said. It was so…

"Pretty..." It just slipped out without thinking, but Yukari caught it, and boy did she pounce.

"There! You finally something that wasn't just a yes or no. Man, you just let me talk forever. You don't say much, huh?" She asked her, with that same carefree smile. Minako replied with a sheepish smile of her own.

"I guess not. Sorry I'm not really much of a conversationalist." Minako drearily said, looking down. Yukari immediately shook her hands frantically.

"No no no. Sorry, that's not what I meant. I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable or anything!"

"Oh, it's okay. I'm pretty boring to talk to anyway..." Minako said self-deprecatingly. Yukari shook her head yet again.

"Now that's definitely not true. I find you very interesting to talk to." There's that smile again. If Yukari kept that up, Minako wouldn't mind having a friend in her. She mustered up a smile of her own to counter Yukari's. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to come up to par with Yukari's standards.

"Oh, come on. You call that a smile? You can do better than that!" She cried out, egging Minako on. "I bet you'd look even prettier when you smile."

It was hard not to be friends with Yukari Takeba.

.

"Hey Yuka-tan!"

"Mornin'!"

"Takeba-senpai!"

Minako didn't realize how popular Yukari would be. She seemed to gather all this attention to the both of them just by walking down the street. Yukari simply went with the flow and greeted everyone she passed. She knew all of these people?!

"Yukari! What's up?" A group of girls gathered by the front gate of the school yelled out to the pair of girls. Gathering by Yukari's sudden squeal and the extra bounce in her step, it seemed that these were her friends.

"Hey guys! This is Minako Arisato, she's the newest student here at Gekkoukan High. Be sure to treat her well!" And suddenly, all at once, they pounced. Where'd you come from? What was your old school like? Who is your favorite idol? Minako was bombarded with trivial questions she certainly didn't want to answer. She brushed them off, walking away without a single word. That definitely won't fly past Yukari, but Minako simply couldn't handle females in packs. She begrudgingly walked away from Yukari and the girls.

.

"Minako! Wait up!" Yukari called out to her, practically chasing after her. Minako was actually starting to feel guilty for having treated her friends like that. So much for having almost made friends with Yukari. She stopped at the front door to the school, allowing Yukari to catch up to her. She decided it was better to apologize as soon as possible better than wait it out.

"I'm sorry for leaving like that. I just… can't handle … large groups like that." Minako apologized slowly, as if her body wouldn't let the words come out. Yukari, being Yukari, accepted the apology wholeheartedly.

"No worries! I don't want you to feel uncomfortable on your first day. Listen, I actually have to get to my Archery club. Do you think you can manage from here?" Yukari asked shyly. Minako nodded her head vigorously. "Actually, you should see your homeroom teacher first. The Faculty office is in the hallway to the left. See ya, Minako-chan!" She turned around in the opposite direction.

"Oh yeah!" Yukari exclaimed, having not left yet. She returned back to Minako, a little closer than one would normally stand next to another, hushing her voice. "About last night … Don't tell anyone what you saw, okay? … See you later." And with that, she really did leave.

There were a lot of people standing in front of the bulletin board. That must have been where the classes were posted. Minako tried to cut her way through the crowd to check for herself.

"Oh great.. I have the worst teacher ever…"

"Whaaaaaat? I don't see my name. What should I do? What should I do?"

"Awww, we're different classes …. Eh, whatever …."

She finally got to the class rosters. She looked and looked, then looked again. Nothing. That certainly couldn't be good. She caught sight of a tiny orange post it note on the ground. It seemed to have fallen on the bulletin board. There, in tiny letters, was her name, 'Minako Arisato – Class F'. She scanned the class F list out of idle curiosity and caught sight of Yukari's name. Looks like they'd be in the same class.

She turned on her heels and cut through the crowds of students yet again. Minako found the faculty office in the hallway to the left, just as Yukari said it would be. This hallway certainly wasn't as crowded as the school foyer and for that, she was thankful. She wasn't lying when she said she didn't do well with large groups of people. That was what made school so difficult for Minako.

She entered the office and found it surprisingly empty save for one woman.

"Oh, are you the new student? Let's see now … Minako Arisato, 11th grade, am I correct?" The teacher asked, continuing to flip through her impressive file. Minako simply nodded her head.

"Quiet one, aren't you?" The teacher smiled. "Wow, you've lived in a lot of different places." Yeah, moving from family to family, no one wanting to keep her longer than a year. This wasn't anything new for Minako. "Let's see now… in 1999… that was what, ten years ago? Your parents-" The teacher let out a gasp. That was nothing new either.

"I'm sorry, I was so busy, and I didn't have time to read this beforehand." She was forgiven for now, as long as she didn't talk anymore.

"I'm Ms. Toriumi, and I teach Composition. Welcome to our school." The teacher kept an apologetic smile on her face as she welcomed her. Because Minako had nothing to say, she didn't.

"…." Expecting some kind of response, Ms. Toriumi let her words sit for a few seconds longer before she moved on. "Have you seen the classroom assignments? You're in 2-F; that's my class."

Joy.

"But first we need to go to the auditorium. The Welcoming Ceremony will be starting soon. Follow me."

Oh great. At this rate, she'll be stuck sitting next to the teachers.

Minako didn't care to listen to the old man at the podium, but she did hear the students around her whispering.

"I heard we got a transfer student."

"Yep. I've seen her, too. She came to school with Yukari." Minako didn't like the tone this boy was using. It sounded creepy and a little perverted. Luckily a teacher hushed them. But damn, rumors were starting just for walking alongside another girl! What kind of school was she stuck in?

The first after school session was about to begin when Minako was approached by another student. This one was male, wearing a not so standard uniform consisting of a blue collared shirt with the school jacket and a baseball cap. Students were allowed to wear hats in this school?

"Sup' dude?" Last time she checked, Minako wasn't a dude. The voice startled her, however, as she jumped in her seat, which of course made the teenage boy laugh.

"Haha, you look like a deer in the headlights. No need to fear, Junpei Iori at your service!" Was this guy trying to be smooth? He even bowed and everything. Minako was not impressed.

"What do you want?" She asked brutally. Junpei seemed taken aback, but would not relent.

"Hey, hey. I just wanted to talk. I was the transfer student a few years back, and I know how tough it is being the new kid… I wasn't trying to hit on you, I swear." Junpei was on the defensive.

She saw Yukari come over to them in the corner of her eye, but she didn't seem all perky and happy like Minako had seen earlier. If anything, she seemed annoyed.

"Sheesh, at it again, huh? Honestly, is there any girl you wouldn't hit on?" Yukari definitely did not like Junpei. Her comment caused Minako to shoot daggers at the lone male who pathetically tried to defend himself yet again.

"I swear I wasn't trying to hit on you!" Junpei exclaimed really loudly, causing the entire class to shift their attention to the three. Minako desperately hoped she wouldn't be stuck with these two for the rest of her school year, otherwise she could kiss her anonymity goodbye. Yukari and Junpei just seemed to be inviting attention to them and Minako was anxious to avoid it.

After saying her goodbye to Yukari, who she wanted to play nice with since they were dorming together, Minako was stuck with Junpei glued to her side, insisting he walk her home.

"Whoa, check out the jocks on their run…" He pointed out, along with about a thousand other silly comments including the teacher who seemed to be measuring girls' skirt lengths with measuring tape.

The jocks seemed to run circles around them. Minako could never imagine joining a sports club. The physical activity alone would be too much for her.

The one who was leading the pack of jocks was a tall man (boy seemed inappropriate) with silver hair and well defined muscles showing even underneath his school jersey. His forehead was bandaged and he seemed to be a bit bruised anywhere that skin was showing. Still, his physical state did nothing to deter his speed. Minako was almost mesmerized watching him lead everyone around.

"Oh? You interested in sports clubs?" Junpei asked after all the attention she was giving the jocks. Minako shook her head and kept moving forward.

"No way in hell."

.

"Welcome back." Cried out the only voice in the downstairs lounge, that of her new senpai, Mitsuru Kirijo.

Were the three of them the only ones who lived here? The dorm itself was quite large, but there was no bustle of students like she expected. It was actually quite nice, so Minako had no reason to complain. She made her way to Mitsuru, who kindly informed her that they were not allowed to leave the dorm after hours and that she should go to bed early. Why was she pushing her to go sleep? Weird. Oh well. She was tired, after all that happened today. She listened to her senpai's advice and went straight to bed.

.

"Did you hear the rumor..?" Oh great, more rumors. Did another girl walk down a street? So scandalous.

"Not only did she stop going to school, she does nothing but sit and stare at the walls all day. If her mother tries to talk to her, she only mutters to herself, 'It's coming... it's coming!'"

"Huh. How about that."

"You don't believe me…?" Well Minako definitely didn't.

.

"Junpei! Who did I say was my favorite author?" Ms. Toriumi shouted at the head of the class shocking poor Junpei out of his slumber. The boy started blubbering like a buffoon, trying to come up with an answer.

"U-ummmmm…. Psst! Minako, who does she like?" Seriously, he was asking her? Why would she take notes on the teacher's favorite things anyway? Minako rolled her eye and spewed out a name she hoped was right.

"Utsubo Kubota." Turns out it was right after all. Lucky Junpei. After saving his bacon, Minako felt a little more popular at school.

.

There was nothing to do after school, what with Yukari at archery practice and Junpei thankfully off Minako's back, so she decided to go straight to dorm. Surprisingly, Yukari was already there sitting alongside an older man with long hair and glasses.

"Oh, she's back." How did she beat Minako here? She would of questioned her had there not have been a new presence in the room.

"So this is our new guest…" Something about this man made her want to punch him in the face. She just couldn't put her finger on it.

"Good evening. My name is Shuji Ikutsuki. I'm the Chairman of the Board for your school." And then he cracked some awkward joke about his name. "I apologize for the inconvenience, but it may take a while longer before you receive the proper room assignment." Are these people trying to kick her out as soon as she arrives?

"Are there any questions you'd like to ask?" About a million of them. Minako decided to save some time and cut to the chase.

"Why can't I just stay here? It seems empty enough. Actually, does anyone else live here?" Her mind was bombarded with questions that they just started spilling out by themselves. The Chairman simply chuckled casually.

"Well, there is Yukari here, you, Mitsuru, and another senior named Akihiko Sanada. The only reason we were looking for other accommodations is because this is a co-ed dorm, and your aunt requested an all-female living arrangement."

"So why did you come here?"

"To welcome you, of course. Speaking of which, where's Mitsuru, Yukari?" Ikutsuki asked, sidetracking the Q &amp; A momentarily.

"Oh, she's just upstairs."

Ikutsuki sighed. "As diligent as always. It doesn't hurt to come down and say hello.. Oh, my apologies. Do you have another question?" He asked Minako again. She felt like he was waiting for to ask one specific question. About last night. With the blood, the coffins, the weird encounter and the gun. Minako chose to ignore it. She grinned, as much as she could considering she barely smiles, and shook her head.

"Then, I hope you have a successful school year." Minako hoped she'd have a successful year of not seeing him. "Now, if you'll excuse me..." Please, by all means.

"You must be tired from all the excitement. You should go to bed early." There it was again. What was it with these people and getting her to bed? It was pretty creepy, but she didn't want to put up much of a fight so she just went straight upstairs. On the way there, as she past the second floor she could've sworn she caught sight of silver hair.

.

Minako had the strangest dream the night before. She dreamt that she was the master of this huge blue elevator called the Velvet Room because she signed some contract.

Oh wait. The contract the creepy boy made her sign…

She also remembered a strange man with an abnormally long nose gave her a key. Minako glanced down to her right hand which clutched something cold and metal. Without a doubt in her mind, this was the key she was given in her dream. Did this mean it really wasn't a dream? Was she just sleeping walking? She just couldn't figure this out.

Whatever it was, that was some weird dream.

.

"Hey! Minako wait up!" A voice from behind her called out. Yukari left early for her club so that could only mean….

And she was correct. Junpei Iori trudged along towards her at the front of the school gate.

"Yo. Man am I tired… I guess I could have a little cat nap in class."

"Yeah because that's exactly what your grades need." Oops. She usually said the sarcastic part on the inside rather than the outside. Junpei seemed to ignore the little dig and kept the conversation flowing.

"You ever notice how sometimes taking a nap in class makes you feel more refreshed than seeping at home?"

"Actually… yes. Yes I do."

"Right? You go from dead to being completely full of energy again. It's such a great feeling."

"You're still hurting your grades, dude." Damn, Junpei's lingo was rubbing off on her.

"… Then again, I'm not listening to the lecture anyway, so I'm screwed either way!"

"… you sound so proud of it."

.

The entirety of the school day was pretty uneventful. Minako caught Junpei taking that catnap like he said he would. Minako then found herself taking a nap of her own. Junpei really was right about feeling refreshed from a nap in school. She felt more awake then she did after a good eight hours of sleep.

After school, Minako met up with Yukari, who decided to show her around town. Though Minako had lived here before, it was over ten years ago and so many things had changed. A tour could definitely help. They had now reached Paulownia Mall which was conveniently located nearby the school.

"Have you been here before? A lot of Gekoukan students come here after school." Yukari asked at the start of their tour.

"If I have been here, I don't remember it." Minako answered dryly.

"Did you really live here before? You don't seem to know the area pretty well. Then again all of Tatsumi Port Island is pretty new, so maybe it was built after you left." She asked and answered her own question. That was certainly handy. This way, Minako didn't have to talk to about herself or her past. She definitely didn't want to go there.

Yukari then proceeded to point out the various attractions that lay in Paulownia Mall. There was an arcade, a karaoke box, a café, and a nightclub. Minako wasn't too interested in the karaoke or the night club, but all in all, Paulownia Mall seemed like a pretty comfortable place to relax. It was littered with various other students who had the same idea as the girls. For the moment, they settled on the café and decided to continue with the tour another time.

It was beginning to get dark and the girls had an early curfew so they left after spending maybe a half hour in the café. It was Mitsuru yet again to greet them. When would Minako meet her other dormmate? It seemed like he was the only male living in the co-ed dorm. Minako didn't really interact well with most men, not including Junpei for reasons unknown, so she was very anxious to meet the sole male living in her dorm. At this rate, it seemed like she would never meet him.

It was a full moon, which didn't really seem like much to Minako, who was impressed by nothing. Mitsuru mentioned reading a book by the moonlight. Huh. She didn't peg Mitsuru to be such a romantic.

Without waiting to be told, she went straight to bed, though in this dorm, someone would have not so subtly mentioned it. It was a little weird how obsessed everyone here was with their bed time. At least, that was what Minako assumed it to be. Why else would they try to govern her sleep the way they've been doing the past two days? It's not like they wanted to watch her sleep or something.

Minako was exhausted so it didn't take long for her to sleep. She did not have a restful sleep, however, and found herself waking up in the middle of the night. In her sleepy daze, Minako heard the sound of footsteps stomping around in the halls. Now fully awake, she shot off of bed, and was about to yell at whoever was doing it to shut the fuck up when that same person pounded on her door. Officially pissed off, Minako opened the door ready to attack.

It was Yukari on the other side of the door, but that didn't calm Minako's rage. Fortunately for Yukari, there was no time to bite her head off and she pulled Minako by the arm, thrusting something into her other. It was an incredibly long staff-like object with a blade at the end. A naginata.

"There's no time to explain. We're in danger just standing here!"

What. The hell. Is happening.

"Follow me!" She yanked her down the hallway without explaining a word. Why did she just hand her a weapon? Was she supposed to use it?! And on what?! What the hell was happening?!

.

Yukari dragged her downstairs first.

"We should be safe here.." Safe? Safe from what?! As soon as they stopped moving the front door began to rattle, freaking Minako out even more.

"L-let's pull back!" Immediately the two girl ran yet again, this time to the second floor. Wait, why were they going up? Yukari pulled Minako towards … the roof? They'll be sitting ducks out there!

"The door's locked. I think we're safe for now." Yukari sighed out of relief. Minako was not as calm.

"Safe? We're stuck here! And just what the hell is going on?! We're freaking under attack here!"

Just then, the girls heard a roar come from below. A single slimy black arm reached over the ledge of the rooftop. Then, Minako caught sight of a face that will probably haunt her future nightmares. A second arm was holding a hollow blue mask with the Roman numeral I inscribed on its forehead. The entirety of its body was made up of arms. Almost resembling a spider, six- or was it eight- of the arms acted the legs. The rest each carried various weapons- rapiers, Minako believed they were called. But that didn't matter. What mattered is that it was going to kill them.

"That's that thing that attacked this place… we call them Shadows!" Seriously?! Yukari was giving an explanation now at the face of death?!

"O-oh yeah ... I have to fight... I can summon mine … no problem…" Yukari began to mumble to herself. Despite her strong demeanor, there was something that truly freaked her out, and Minako was starting to realize why. Yukari took the gun from her holster, the same gun she almost used the night Minako arrived. However, instead of pointing it to the shadow she …. Put it up to her forehead?! She was going to shoot herself!

Yukari began hyperventilating. Wait. She didn't want to do it? Before she could reach the trigger, the monster attacked, sending some sort of fire attack her way.

"Yukari!"

The gun was knocked out of her hand and scooted towards Minako. It landed at her feet, and she picked it up, determined to avenge Yukari. As soon as she did, everything seemed to become clearer, and the motions just came to her naturally.

It's not a real gun. That's what Mitsuru said.

"Thou art I, and I am thou." A voice echoed in her head, waiting for her to pull the trigger.

She did just as Yukari did, and brought the gun to her head. With her left hand to her heart, she pulled the trigger.

A man appeared, only it didn't really seem like a man. He was blue and silver, almost robotic, and he had his hair parted to completely cover his right eye. On his back was some kind of instrument. A harp? No, it was much too small for that, a lyre.

His name was Orpheus. Minako just knew.

And the rest of that night was all a blur.

.

If anyone finds this story familiar, that is because this used to be "She's One Brooding Mystery" reposted, renamed and re-edited. I grouped half the chapters together, fixed small mistakes, and added a few sentences here and there.


	2. School, Tartarus and A Half Naked Shadow

Her persona was her mask. That's what Igor said in her second dream of the Velvet Room.

Orpheus was her mask. What about that other one, the one that came out of Orpheus? Was it another one of her faces? How many masks could she carry?

Minako just didn't know.

.

Minako opened her eyes to a white ceiling. She automatically knew where she was. Iwatodai Hospital. She spent quite some time here in her youth before when the incident occurred ten years ago. She jumped from hospital room to hospital room basically watching her family die off slowly. Now in a bed herself, she wondered if she would follow the same fate.

What happened to put her in this state? She recalled Orpheus and battling the shadows. Minako could faintly remember something else, something that brought about thoughts of someone she refused to let herself think about. Why did she have to think about him then? She pushed her thoughts away when she realized she wasn't alone. Yukari was sitting next to her bedside.

"You're awake!" She exclaimed, as if it wasn't obvious enough. No wait, no sarcastic thoughts today. This is supposed to be a touching moment.

"Um, how do you feel?"

"Like I got hit by a truck. Wait, did I get hit by a truck?" Because it certainly felt like it.

"You … you don't remember?" Yukari asked weakly, biting her lip. Minako felt guilty. She must of worried the whole time she was unconscious.

"No … I do. I don't know why now of all time I tried to joke around." Minako confessed regretfully, hoping to relieve Yukari of some stress. It worked, getting the other girl to smile.

"So how long was I out for?"

"About ten days. Thank goodness you're awake, I was so worried for you! The doctor said he couldn't find anything wrong, but you just wouldn't wake up and I got so scared! But, your power … it was amazing!" Yukari spilled out everything, having obviously been holding in her feelings up until now.

"My power … you mean my persona?" Minako asked curiously. Was her dream of Igor correct?

Yukari's eyes widened. "Yeah, how'd you know?!"

Minako shook her head. "I don't know, I just … did."

"It's okay, we'll have more time to talk about it at the dorm. I just … I just wanted to say, I'm sorta like you." The mood of the room darkened even more, if that was possible.

"What do you mean?"

"My dad died in an accident when I was little ... and my mom and I aren't exactly on good terms … you're all alone too, right?"

Minako never had this before. A person who was the same as her, who didn't only pity her, who actually experienced some of the same pain as her. She reached over to take a hold of Yukari's hand.

"To be completely honest, I already know about what happened. But it didn't seem fair, so I wanted you to know mine, too." She said, giving her own special Yukari smile.

"It was back in '99. There was a big explosion in the area." Minako's ears perked up. This was sounding familiar. It couldn't be. "Supposedly, my dad died in the blast, but nobody knows what really happened. He was working in a lab run by the Kirijo Group." Kirijo? Was that Mitsuru's family? Judging from Minako's questioning gaze, Yukari knew where her thoughts were going. "That's right. Mitsuru-sempai's family's business. I'm hoping that if I stick around long enough, I'll find something out."

Minako grabbed at Yukari's hand even harder. "I'll help you. I'll help you with anything you need." There was more determination in Minako's eyes than ever before. Yukari beamed another smile her way, happy to have found a new ally.

"Thank you. It's nice to have a friend on my side." Friend? It's been a while since Minako heard that word in a positive light.

Minako gained a friend.

.

"Yo!" It's been a while since Minako heard that voice. If they had known each other longer, Minako would have missed this kind of interaction, but Junpei had not yet graduated from 'annoyance' quite yet.

"Long time no see. What happened, you got an upset stomach or something?" He asked it casually, but Minako heard the worry in his voice. He actually cared her wellbeing. He was certainly stepping up the ladder of friendship.

"No worries, I'm fine now. What's up?" Minako asked, extending the hand of acquaintance-ship, which did not go unnoticed.

"Well actually …" Junpei started with a whisper, making Minako lean in to hear him. "Oh wait! I'm not supposed to say anything!"

Why would he dangle a piece of meat in her face only to pull it away?

Before she could respond, the bell rang, causing both students to run together in pursuit for their classroom.

.

Yukari told her during school that the school chairman requested a meeting at the dorm after school, so the girls left for the dorm immediately after school. The lounge was completely empty, but Yukari mentioned that the meeting was up in the fourth floor.

When they arrived, Minako noticed Mitsuru and the chairman seated on the couches. Also seated with them was an unfamiliar young man. Ah. The mysterious third dormmate, then. What was his name again?

"Ah, there you are." Came the voice of the chairman. "I'm glad that you're okay. I wasn't sure what I'd do if anything had happened to you." Something in his voice seemed insincere, but Minako tried to shake it off. It made sense that he would care for her wellbeing, as an educator. So he was genuine, right? Right?

"The reason I asked you here is because I needed to talk to you. Please, have a seat." She did as she was told, and took a seat between Mitsuru and Yukari, across from the chairman and mysterious dormmate.

"Oh, before that. I believe I mentioned him earlier, but this is Akihiko." Ikutsuki motioned to the young man next to him. So his name was Akihiko. He gave his own friendly, yet somewhat awkward greeting.

"Okay, let me start off by asking you this: Would you believe me if I said that a day consists of more than 24 hours?" Minako was taken aback by the forwardness of this topic. Knowing she was in safe place with her newfound friend at her side, Minako decided to speak up.

"Yes, I would." She said, surprising the entire room.

"You know about the Dark Hour?" Mitsuru asked her, with a surprised look still on her face.

"The Dark Hour? Is that what it's called?"

"The Dark Hour is an extra hour of time hidden between the days. Normal people are unconscious in coffins and are unaware of this hour. Only we persona-users are able to move freely. The only other living creatures are the monsters we call shadows."

"It's our job to defeat them. " Akihiko spoke, stepping up to the plate. "Sounds exciting, huh?" _Sounds scary if you ask me._

"Akihiko! You just got hurt the other day!" Mitsuru shouted.

"Now now, he does his job well." Ikutsuki said, breaking the fight up. His businesslike tone did not ease Minako's fears of the chairman's sincerity.

"How long have you known about it?" Akihiko seemed to have an excited glint in his eyes.

"Um … well it first happened to me about ten years ago, but it only just started again when I came back to Iwatodai."

"Amazing … to think, you've had this ability for so long and nobody has known …" Ikutsuki voiced his thoughts out loud. "Why, not even Mitsuru has been aware for as long."

"But am I correct to assume that you've only just encountered the shadows?" Mitsuru asked. Minako would've definitely would've remembered something like a monster from her childhood. She simply nodded her head.

"Well Minako, getting back to the topic on hand, we would like you to join our group. We are the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad- abbreviated to SEES for short. Our mission is to defeat any and all shadows that come in harm's way. With the abilities you shown us the night of attack, you would make an amazing addition to the group." Ikutsuki was basically propositioning her to join a group to kill monsters. Were these people serious? Was this all some kind of detailed prank? Minako's mind was all over the place.

No, it couldn't be a prank. After all, what she has experienced in the past two weeks … this was not a joke. This was real. And it was terrifying.

Noticing her apprehension, Mitsuru spoke up. "Listen to me. A shadow feeds on the mind of its prey; it leaves the victim a living corpse, completely unaware of their surroundings. Surely you've heard of such cases around Iwatodai. That is what we are trying to prevent. " While, not necessarily calming her down, it did make Minako understand the seriousness of the situation. No way was it a joke now.

"So, how do you fight them, then? With a … persona? You all have one?" Minako asked. All but Ikutsuki nodded their heads. So he didn't have a Persona …

"It is rare, however there are those who have the ability to remain awake during the Dark Hour; everyone in this room does, in fact, have that ability. But what you have that I lack is, as you say, a Persona to fight them off. Shadows can only be defeated by Persona-users. So, it is really all up to you guys."

It was beginning to get harder to breath. They did want her to fight those shadows after all. Minako couldn't fight. What she did before must have been some kind of fluke. There was no way she could do this.

And now, all of a sudden, they were waving a familiar object in front of her face; the gun that they are now calling an Evoker. _Please don't make me take that gun._ Her mind was screaming.

Her trepidation was written all over her face. Coming to her rescue was the stranger, Akihiko.

"Hey. It's okay, you don't have to make a decision right now. Just hang out with us for a while. See what we're like."

While not exactly letting her get out of this, his words did comfort her and allowed her to calm down, her breathing back to regular levels. The weight was coming off of her.

It was Mitsuru who pushed the weight back.

"Please, we need your help." She insisted, ignoring the looks from Akihiko and Yukari. This time, Minako heard the desperation from Mitsuru's voice. They really needed her.

Everyone did.

"… Alright. I'll join you."

A voice began to ring in her head.

Thou hast established a new bond.

.

"Hi, how are you?"

Minako's eyes shot open. The creepy contract boy. He was in her room. In the middle of the night. How did he get in here? Why did he choose now to make his presence known? Was he watching her sleep?!

"How the HELL did you get in here?!" She nearly screamed, but didn't want to wake anyone up. She probably should've, considering there was an intruder wearing prisoner pajamas in her bedroom.

The boy simply chuckled and said, "I'm always with you." He was what? Was he admitting to stalking her? Why wasn't she calling for help?

"Soon, the end will come."

Minako snapped back from her thoughts. "Excuse me?"

"I remembered, so I thought I should tell you."

"The end? Of what?"

"The end of everything." She definitely shouldn't have asked that question. "But to be honest, I don't really know what it is."

Well, that's helpful.

"I expect you to honor your commitment. Remember, I'll be watching you." Seriously, enough with the creepy.

"I'll see you later, my dearest …" And then, he left. He didn't leave through the door, though. Oh no. He evaporated into thin air.

Creepy.

Minako couldn't go back to sleep.

.

Yukari stood at the school gates to greet her.

"I'm really sorry for the way we all ganged up on you. But I'm so happy you said yes. Akihiko-senpai's injured, and I was really uneasy about working alone with Mitsuru-senpai…" Yukari shared her concerns with Minako, just as a friend would. It felt nice. Something in her words struck a cord with her.

"Sanada-senpai is injured?" He looked okay yesterday.

Yukari nodded. "It happened the night you collapsed. He fought off the leftover shadows. He said he hurt his ribs a little … Mitsuru-senpai insists he stand down on any fighting."

Huh. So he was injured that day too…

.

Yukari yawned. "I thought I was gonna fall asleep in there …"

Minako did. After last night's unwanted visitor, she needed all the sleep she could get. But she wasn't about to say anything about her visitor or his news. People would think she's going crazy. In the middle of their conversation, Mitsuru walked into their classroom.

"Can I have a minute of your time? Come to the lounge when you get back to the dorm. I have something to tell everyone. I'll save the details for later. See you then." That was more like ten seconds. Huh. Was she running away from something?

"Huh. Sure is quick."

"She's probably busy with things like student council, unlike us." Was it just her, or did that sound a little catty, Yukari? Junpei also jumped into the conversation.

"Woah, Yuka-tan! Do I sense some hostility?"

"Well, it's not that I don't like her… she's just … never mind. Let's just go, Minako."

Sensing her friend's anxiety, she let the subject go, even though she, too, was begging for details.

It's so hard to be a good friend.

.

"I really don't hate her, y'know? Why does Junpei have to butt into everything when he has nothing to do with it, anyway?! Plus, he says it in the creepiest, most perverted way. He's like the poster boy for sexual harassment. You know, last year he …"

Minako listened to Yukari's ranting and gossip all the way home. Such is the life of a friend. They went upstairs to the lounge, just like the night before. More news from Ikutsuki, maybe?

Only Mitsuru and Akihiko were there. They said their greeting like they usually did. Minako took a seat next to Akihiko, instead of her usual seat near Yukari. He turned to face her.

"We were waiting for you two. There's someone I wanna introduce." The two girls shared the same bewildered look. Was it a new Persona-user? Akihiko got up and went towards the lounge door. He began yelling towards the person who was supposedly on the other side of the door. Boy did his voice sound familiar. His face was even more familiar. Yukari was gonna lose her shit.

"Wazzup?" Junpei's carefree greeting seemed to lighten up the usually serious mood of the dorm. Minako didn't really care for Junpei as she did Yukari, but she could get used to him. Yukari on the other hand …..

"J-Junpei?! W-why … why is HE here?!" Yup. Pure hatred. Or Unresolved Sexual Tension. Minako couldn't tell the two apart sometimes.

Akihiko remained oblivious of Yukari's hostility to his guest. "This is Junpei Iori. He'll be staying here as of today."

"He's staying HERE?! No, no way. No, NO!"

Akihiko stood his ground against Yukari. Not an easy feat to do. "He has the potential. I bumped into the other night. I told him about us, and he agreed to join." Junpei nodded along against Yukari, looking very pleased of himself.

"He found me cryin like a baby at the convenience store, surrounded by a bunch of coffins."

"…. Why do you sound so proud of it?" Minako couldn't help putting in her own two cents. Couldn't have been at a worse time. Luckily her comment went ignored.

"But man, was I shocked to find out about you guys. I'm glad I'm not the only one. And besides, I bet you guys are stoked too, right? It'd be nice to have some testosterone around too, wouldn't it?" Junpei just kept yammering on. Man can he talk.

"I think we're good with just Sanada-senpai, thanks." Minako said, ignoring Akihiko's looks after hearing his name out loud. Junpei didn't seem to get the hint.

"Oh, come on! I'm man enough!"

Minako just sighed and gave in. It's not she had any control over this anyway.

"Just don't slow us down."

Akihiko took the spotlight once again as he made a motion to speak.

"Well, I think we're just about ready …" That's about the time that the Chairman made his entrance. He acknowledged the newest recruit with a pat on the back.

"Okay, everybody's here. For a long time, Mitsuru and Akihiko were the only Persona-users we had. That number has just now jumped to five. Therefore, I believe we are ready to commence the exploration of Tartarus."

.

The Tartarus was huge. Silhouetted by the green fog, it was impossible to tell just how big it was. And to think this was their school during the daytime.

"Since Akihiko hasn't fully recovered yet, he'll have to stay behind here in the entrance." Akihiko certainly didn't seem too proud of this fact as he winced along with Mitsuru's words. He didn't seem like the kind of guy to just wait at the sidelines. This must be killing him.

"Akihiko, as the previous leader, will you appoint a new one?" Junpei's eyes widened.

"A leader? One of us? Oh, oh, senpai, you gotta pick me." Persistence is not the way to make a good impression. Oh well, better him than Minako.

Akihiko hesitated. His eyes darted from one person to another. One was unreliable, yet enthusiastic, the other was headstrong, yet uncertain, and then …

"Minako, you're in charge."

….. Wait, what?

Akihiko put her in charge?! Why would he do something like this?! Minako felt the walls cave in on her, much like they did when she was asked to join. This feeling was much worse, however. As Junpei voiced his own concerns, Minako's airways began to close.

"Her?! Wha—but she's a girl!" Junpei croaked out, earning a slap on the head from Yukari and an icy glare from Mitsuru. Minako was too busy having an anxiety attack. Akihiko stood his ground again.

"Can you two summon your Persona without any difficulties, like she can?" He addressed Yukari and Junpei.

That was the reason why he picked her to be the leader? Because she can shoot herself in the head without hesitation? Actually, that's a pretty good reason.

"These are Shadows we're talking about. You can't just rely on brute force; you need to use your Persona. Otherwise, you're screwed."

Akihiko turned to Minako, who was now officially the de facto leader. Man, what was he thinking?

"Alright, let's head inside. Minako, are you ready?"

No way in hell was she ready.

"Um, not quite…" Where did this meek side of her come from? All that was going on in her mind was how much she didn't want to be leader. She was aware of nothing else except for her newfound contempt for Akihiko having given her the terrible burden.

With Yukari and Junpei attempting to calm her down, they made their way to the entrance, unaware of the difficulties they will face behind those doors.

.

Each and every one of Minako's muscles ached.

They've only explored one level. How could their bodies be screaming in pain after one level?

"Welcome back." Here came the fresh faces of Mitsuru and Akihiko. Lucky bastards who didn't need to feel this kind of pain. The seniors seemed unaware or unaffected, at least, of the brunette's disdain.

"So, how was it?" Akihiko asked her as they were walking back from Tartarus. The Dark Hour was now ending and the Tartarus vanished, with the school taking its place.

"To be honest, Sanada-senpai, I'm a little apprehensive. Why did you make me the leader?" Minako asked frankly.

Taken aback by her question, Akihiko took a minute to think of the best answer. "Well it was like I told Yukari and Junpei, you were the only one among them able to summon their persona."

Minako shook her head, refusing to accept the same answer. "That's not enough, senpai. You barely know me, and yet you appoint me the leader. And I want to know why."

He sighed, silently praising the girl's tenacity. "Well … I guess it was the way I saw you fighting that night the shadow attacked the dorm." Everything came down to that day, and she was barely conscious to remember it all. "You didn't even know what was going on, and yet you were so calm fighting to protect Yukari. I thought you were amazing out there."

Minako wasn't expecting anything special from his answer, but she certainly wasn't expecting to be complimented by a handsome guy on anything—especially not her fighting style. Minako blushed the tiniest bit, which did not go unnoticed by Junpei, who decided to turn his head at exactly the right moment.

"Oooooh Akihiko-senpai, putting the moves on our new leader already? You guys work fast." Both of their faces turned a bright shade of red and they refused to look each other in the eye.

"Th-that's not it! W-we were just discussing about fighting styles…" It seemed Akihiko wasn't too good with girls. Or anything that didn't have to do with fighting shadows. And Minako thought he was so confident, too. But this side of him was surprisingly cute. No wait, bad thoughts.

Minako didn't have time to think about boys. Not when she had all these newfound responsibilities, all of which she was basically forced into.

.

Instead of Yukari or Junpei, she saw Akihiko waving her over at the school gate. This was different.

"Morning. I didn't know we were on the same train. Maybe we should ride together sometime." He said it so smoothly, making Minako blush. Ride the train with the senior who had his own fanclub? Yukari told her the rumors about his ravenous fangirls. She would probably be killed.

"But man… things have been crazy these past couple of days. Are you alright? You must be confused since you've just transferred here, too."

"Maybe a bit…" Something about him made her do nothing but tell the truth. It was somewhat refreshing to just talk normally without spouting sarcastic quips all the time.

"I'm sorry for putting all this stress on you. I want to say that I'll take over your position soon … but I can't. Man, I'm so bored I feel like dying."

"You really love fighting, don't you, Sanada-senpai?"

"Please, you can just call me Akihiko. No need for formalities." Junpei was right, he IS fast. "It's not that I love fighting. I just wanna grow stronger. To protect the things that matter."

The light-hearted conversation died down and Akihiko had a serious air around him. Something important must've happened to him.

"The way you fought yesterday was impressive. But you still show signs of a beginner." Back to Tartarus talk. A safe subject with the seniors, apparently.

Minako giggled. It was incredibly out of character for her.

"That's because I am a beginner, senpai."

"You can't only know the basics when you're leading the pack. I can train you, if you want. It'll certainly help with my boredom, I'll tell you that."

"Oh yes, senpai. I'd love to be your new project." Oh look, the sarcasm was turned back on.

"Perfect! We'll train every day after school when you're not busy. I'll see you later today." Before she could make a retort, he walked away, leaving her standing there with a shocked look on her face.

Akihiko did not understand the meaning behind sarcasm. Oh boy.

.

"Hi! You're the transfer student everyone's talking about, right?"

People are talking about her? What the hell happened to her simple low-key year?

The nameless girl that approached her desk after school just would not shut up.

"So you moved into the dorm where Akihiko-senpai lives? I've always wanted to talk to you."

That was funny, considering this was the first time they had even made eye contact since the school year started.

"… What do you want?"

"Geez, you don't have to be so mean about it. Whatever, just spill the beans about Akihiko-senpai. His favorite foods, his type of girl, how he spends his days off, and-" Minako rushed out of the room as fast as she could. This girl was obsessed.

She had only met the guy a few days ago. How the hell would she know all this crap about him?

Should she tell Akihiko about his newest stalker?

"Look! It's Akihiko-senpai!" A girl screamed, causing a crowd to gather.

… Yeah, maybe not. He always has about twenty or so. What's one more to the bunch?

Akihiko was obviously bothered by the girls that crowded around him. His eyes met Minako's and he immediately cut through the swarm to reach her. Minako began to blush again. Oh no, she wasn't forming a crush on him. Not on a guy who has a freaking fan club!

"Hey, are you guys free this afternoon?" He asked looking Minako in the eye. Wait, 'you guys'? Minako turned her head to find Junpei conveniently next to her. Had he been with her this entire time? She didn't even realize it.

"Who, us? I … guess so…?" Junpei said hesitantly. Minako was pretty sure that he wanted in on the harem of girls.

"I want you two to meet me at Paulownia Mall. I'll be at the police station. See ya there."

"Th-the police station? Are your friends gonna come along too?" Junpei asked hopefully. Akihiko looked at him quizzically.

"Who, these girls? I don't even know their names. They talk so much they give me a headache."

Phew. Wait, no! There is no crush.

"Anyway, I'm gonna head out …. Don't keep me waiting." Akihiko left, with his wailing fangirls trailing behind him. Why would Junpei want that? Minako did not understand guys.

.

What did Minako get herself into? One day, her mouth will become the end of her. After buying some new equipment at the police station with a pissed off Junpei, Akihiko decided that today would be the first day of their training. Minako didn't think he would actually say yes to training her.

Why did she have to say that, to Akihiko of all people? The man seriously did not understand sarcasm when he heard it. Never before in her life had she felt so much pain. Not even the night before in Tartarus. That was a cakewalk compared to this torture.

He was making her jog with him. "Jogging" apparently also included hurdles. The "jog" took them all over Iwatodai. They may as well be "jogging" a marathon.

If he could, Akihiko would probably make her do a triathlon. Thankfully it was illegal to go swimming in the waters here.

Long story short, Minako learned her lesson.

Never ask Akihiko for training. Not even sarcastically.

From that day on, Minako avoided Akihiko like the plague. Good bye fading crush.

.

The rest of the days seemed to blur with one another. Minako made what was aptly named a Social Link with Junpei and Yukari, of the Magician and Lovers arcanas. Minako wasn't really sure want it meant, so she went to Igor through the door in Paulownia Mall for help. Instead, she met his assistant, Theodore who aided her with the matter.

"Persona is the power of your soul, which thrives on the bonds you have with others." Theodore told her, with his master eagerly watching the two. Damn, that smile of his was really starting to scare Minako.

"Social Links affect the strength of your Persona. The more bonds you make, the more Social Links you create, the more powerful you become. It is really quite simple, is it not?"

So it wasn't just about surviving the shadows, she needed to make bonds with people to gain more power? It seemed to Minako like she was simply using friendship as a disguise for supremacy. It just felt wrong.

It's not like Minako wanted to make friends in the first place. She did have to leave in a year, after all. But she already created some bonds of her own; they didn't have to be Social Links.

Yukari, Junpei, even Akihiko and Mitsuru. They were her friends now.

What was she going to do when it was time for her to leave?

What if something worse happened?

.

The rest of Minako's days centered mainly on school, with the occasional visit to Tartarus. They had hit a barricade on one of the floors and couldn't progress any higher, so they only made sporadic trips to further their training; Akihiko insisted on at least that.

She also found herself running around Iwatodai trying to fulfill Theo's requests. It seemed that this man did not get out of the Velvet Room very much. He asked for all kinds of things from pine resin, whatever that is, to a sip of muscle drink. If he wasn't a grown man, Minako might find his childlike behavior cute.

It was kind of weird.

.

It happened again a week before the full moon. Minako was in a deep sleep until she somehow sensed another presence in her room. How, she will never understand.

"Hello."

Oh, hell no. He's back.

This time, he went straight to the point.

"One week from today, there will be a full moon. On such days you will face your greatest challenges. You must prepare, but time is of the essence."

He was speaking so cryptically that it was hard to decipher. He was warning her, she could definitely understand that. But why?

"Why are you telling me this?"

"You will encounter one of THEM. Please be ready for this ordeal." He completely ignored her questioned. How rude.

"Until next time, my dearest …" And with that, he melted into the darkness.

Minako had a hard time sleeping that night. Again.

.

Golden Week came and went. There was nothing exciting happening around town, so Minako decided to take some time to relax at the local café with Junpei.

"So this is what it's like inside here. I've always passed by, but guys can't really come in together so …."

Silly men with their man pride.

"Just where DO guys go then?"

"Let's see ... uh, karaoke, Wild Duck Burger … the manga café …. That sounds a lot lamer when I say it out loud." It sure did.

Minako shook her head. "Guys like you have too much pride. You wanna do something, then do it. Screw what anyone else thinks."

"… you mean like asking a girl out? Ooooh Mina-tan, you waiting for some lucky guy to ask you out?" Minako's face turned fifty shades of red.

"N-no!" When did the conversation become about her?

"You're blush-ing." Junpei practically sang out. He certainly was having fun with this. Meanwhile, Minako was not amused.

"But in all seriousness, if you need any help in that area, I'll totally play your Cupid."

Aw, now isn't that sweet. He didn't take the opportunity to hit on her. Minako still wasn't amused. Junpei took her silence as an okay and continued talking.

"Oh, what about Akihiko-senpai? I've seen you guys talking, and he definitely likes you better than any of his fangirls. Seriously, you should try it!"

"Wh-what?!" Again, Junpei's words let her red in the face and almost speechless.

"Oh come on. You're telling me you never thought about him that way?" He continued goading her.

"…."

He took her silence as a yes again. Junpei was getting better at reading her. Maybe even better at Yukari. Those two were neck and neck for best friend status now.

"A transfer student swoops in and steals the heart of the boy every girl wants … something right out of a romance novel. I'd support you all the way .." He spoke romantically, in his own little dream land. Meanwhile, on planet Earth, Minako was burning holes into their table. She refused to look Junpei in the eye because his words spoke the truth. All the way until his romance novel fantasy, that is. Still, she managed to squeeze her voice out.

"Please don't speak that way about senpai. It's too embarrassing."

But Junpei did not relent. "I think you guys would make a great couple. You're both socially impaired."

"Hey! I said drop it, okay? Besides, after what I had to go through training with him, I could never look at him romantically ever again!"

"So you don't deny a crush on Akihiko?"

"Ughh!"

.

It was after school on a Saturday when Minako realized something.

That day was the day of the full moon, wasn't it? She remembered the creepy contract boy's warning. Though she didn't want to listen to him on the off chance that it was a trick, Minako decided it was better to be safe than sorry. She immediately went straight to the dorm after school.

She sat in the first floor lounge and waited. And waited. And waited. She waited for something strange, but nothing happened. Once the skies changed colors, she decided that the warning was a dud and went up to bed for some rest. It was until the Dark Hour that something finally decided to happen.

A loud alarm sounded. It was the emergency call. Like they practiced in the drills, each member of SEES ran for the fourth floor command room. There, Mitsuru shed some light on the situation.

"We've detected a Shadow outside of Tartarus."

Uh-oh.

.

The trio of Minako, Yukari and Junpei carefully walked the tracks of the monorail, silently praying for their life. A shadow was located inside of one of the passenger trains that was in the middle of its train. They were forced to walk the tracks in order to reach it, but that didn't mean they couldn't be scared.

They finally reached the backside of the train. There were no other trains on the track. This had to be it.

There was sudden beeping.

"Can you all hear me?" It was Mitsuru, providing back up from outside.

"Yes, I can hear you clearly." Yukari spoke for the group. "We just got here, but I don't see anything out of the ordinary."

"The readings are definitely coming from that monorail. Proceed with caution and please stay together."

"Got it."

Then they lost connection.

.

There was one single coffin sitting in the last car of the monorail.

"This poor stiff must be a passenger." Junpei commented. This must've been the first time he'd seen someone transmogrified. Minako was the last to board the monorail, but as soon as she took her last step, the doors mechanically shut behind her, surprising everyone. And there was supposed to be no power available during the Dark Hour.

"What's wrong? What happened!?" Mitsuru got back into connection.

"It looks like we're trapped inside."

"The shadow must know you're there. Be ready for anything and proceed with extreme caution!"

They made their slow trek down the last carriage to its connecting door. The next two carriages were empty.

"What the? There are no shadows…"

Suddenly one single shadow snuck up on them. Yukari gasped and Minako got into her fighting stance. However, instead of approaching them, the shadow moved in the opposite direction. It almost seemed like it was goading them into following it. Unfortunately Junpei took the bait.

"Don't just stand there! Let's follow it!"

"Wait!" It was Mitsuru again. "Something's not right."

"But if we don't go after it, we're gonna lose it!" Junpei fought back.

"Minako, you're in command. What do you think?" Way to put her under the bus, Mitsuru. Unused to her new role, Minako stumbled on her words.

"W-well, the enemy was acting weird, so we should probably be wary?" She questioned more than commanded. Thankfully, Mitsuru agreed. The only one who wasn't in agreement was Junpei.

"… Fine. I'll just go myself."

"Wait, Junpei!" But Yukari was too late to stop him. He was determined to find this shadow and beat it himself. Was he still upset over missing out on leader? Stupid man pride.

Minako and Yukari chased after him as quickly as they could, but they were sidetracked by several shadows. Once they got to him, they realized what he was chasing wasn't even close to the target.

The target at the very first carriage was a Shadow taking the form of a woman with long hair in a Medusa-like fashion. Her legs were crudely spread open with nothing but a clothes covering her nether regions.

More importantly, she was a good six heads taller than they.

And she made the train start moving. Said train was going to crash into the next train on the tracks if

they didn't kill her within the next seven minutes.

They were so screwed.

.

"Hey! … Why are we still moving?!"

They had just dispatched the big bad boss, but defeating her didn't seem to stop the train. Everyone was still freaking out.

The train seemed to have gotten even faster than before. They were not long from colliding into the other train.

"Dammit! I don't know how to stop this thing!"

"Br-brakes! Where are the damn brakes?!"

Minako found two levers parallel to each other. But which one was the brake? She had to take her chances.

It must've been some kind of miracle that they survived.

"Di-did we stop?"

Mitsuru's incoming transmission cut off Junpei's stupid question.

"Is everybody alright?"

Yukari did a visual check of her teammates. A couple bumps and bruises, but she did a pretty decent job healing everybody during the big fight that there was no real damage.

"Uh, yeah. We're a-okay!" Yukari laughed nervously before her legs finally gave in. "… My knees won't stop shaking."

Junpei shared a dilemma. "Dude … I'm drenched in sweat." He turned to Minako who was strangely silent for the past few minutes. "Hey, are you okay?"

Once the adrenaline of it all wore off, Minako started to sniffle. " I was- I was so scared."

This was too much. Battling shadows, leading the group, near-death experiences. She couldn't help but cry.

"Oh shit, please don't cry! Where'd I put my handkerchief?" Junpei began fumbling for something. "Uhh, you don't mind if it's used, do you?"

On the other line, Mitsuru sighed of relief. The three had forgotten she was there.

"I'm so glad you are all safe. I'm so sorry I couldn't do more on my end."

With Minako a crying mess and Junpei desperately trying to comfort her, Yukari awkwardly tried to reassure her senpai.

"You did a great job, Mitsuru-senpai." She could've sounded more sincere on her part. But then again, so could Mitsuru.

"Thank you, Takeba. I don't detect any more shadows. Please come back home, you guys did a great job."

Now having to make an even longer trip walking along the tracks, Yukari lead the way as Junpei carried their still crying leader on his back.

.


	3. New People and An Unfortunate Encounter

On her way to school, Akihiko caught up to Minako, extremely out of breath. He huffed out a 'hey' and they began to walk together side by side.

"Running late?"

Still wheezing, Akihiko shook his head. He stopped for a few seconds, allowing his heart rate to go back down, then presumed walking.

"The doctor said I'm almost fully healed, so … I couldn't wait to get some exercise."

Minako shook her head. Leave it to Akihiko to get right on back to his training.

"I'll be ready for battle after midterms."

"And then you'll go back to leading the group, right senpai?"

Akihiko contemplated for a moment. "We'll see about that."

.

Exams were brutal, but Minako was confident in her abilities that she could make top ten easily. On the last day before exams started, however, she was asked a question that left her shaking.

"Will you continue leading SEES in my place?" Akihiko begged, no, pleaded to her by the school gate. This had to be the worst timing for him to say this. Minako's head was filled with nothing by algebraic formulas.

"What?! Why?"

"That way I can concentrate on building my strength."

"Well… "

Minako was completely against being the leader from the start. Hell, she didn't even want to join SEES in the beginning, but she somehow got talked into that. Everyone was putting so much pressure on her and she was starting to break down. The night of the full moon was proof of it when she wouldn't stop crying. Luckily, Akihiko didn't know about her miniature meltdown.

"… You'll be fine. You've been a wonderful leader. Just keep doing what you've been doing. I already talked to Mitsuru and she was fine with it."

It wasn't Mitsuru she was worried about.

.

So Akihiko was officially mended and ready to go back on the battlefield. Just as Minako expected, he proved to be a powerful ally with an even more powerful punch. He even found the name of a possible new recruit. Fuuka Yamagishi. Unfortunately, said girl was missing in action.

The trio of Minako, Yukari and Junpei were currently investigating the rumors surrounding a particular ghost story floating around the school. Well, just Yukari and Minako. Junpei wouldn't stop trying to freak Yukari out with his "Believe It or Don't" stories.

Between school and her extracurricular activities, Tennis Club, Student Council, library committee, all of which she was yet again forced into, Minako also squeezed in some time to help Yukari debunk the ghost rumors. Honestly, Minako didn't consider herself a person who would allow herself to get walked all over, but this school was sucking her dry. Everywhere she turned, someone needed something from her. Join this, help with that, integrate yourself into the school, make friends, blah de blah. Minako already had SEES. They were friends enough for her.

Back in Minako's room, a week before the next full moon, she felt that same presence. At least this time she had expected it, so she stayed awake.

"Good evening."

"…. Hi."

"I came to see you again, as I promised. How are you?"

"….. I'd be better if you didn't try to freak me out in the middle of the night."

"That isn't very nice. Show some courtesy."

Maybe he should show some courtesy by coming to visit at a normal hour. Why was she even welcoming him?

"Now then … in another week, the moon will be full again. And the next ordeal will be upon you. So, please be careful …. I'll come again, my dearest …"

.

"Okay, let's get this meeting started. We are gathered here today to discuss what we have learned in the last week."

Yukari was holding an impromptu meeting in the dorm lounge about the ghost rumors. Minako and Junpei were SUPPOSED to help gather information, but a few things came up and, well …. They didn't. Minako actually had plenty of good excuses like Student Council meeting, Tennis Club, and the library committee. She had no idea what Junpei's excuse was.

"It turns out no angry ghost was involved." Yukari said with a smug look on her face, bumming out Junpei. Minako figured he wanted to be involved in some sort of paranormal phenomenon. What better paranormal phenomenon is there than Tartarus?

Yukari's findings in the case brought them to one of the shadiest places of Tatsumi Port Island; the alleyway behind the station. Several boys and girls you would not want to meet up with in a dark alley were right here in this dark alley they were walking into. So far, Yukari's plan was not going so well.

"Check out those rags… they're from Gekkou High."

"Hey you." One guy directed his attention to Junpei. "I think you're in the wrong place."

"You don't belong here, get it? Beat it, Goatee."

Minako was too scared to speak. Yukari was not. She stood in front of the other two, bravely standing her guard. Minako wished she could be fearless. She was supposed to be their leader, wasn't she?

"We don't need your permission to be here." Yukari spoke clearly and heroically. Junpei thought differently.

"Hey! Are you nuts?!"

"C'mon, don't be intimidated by this scum!" Bad words, Yukari.

The punk stood bowlegged, his mouth wide open at Yukari's words. "What was that?" Another punk, a woman backed him up, preparing for a fight.

"She just called us 'scum'. We'll post some pictures that'll make her daddy cry!"

Ouch. Bad move, tough chick. Yukari was enraged by her words. If she had her bow or Evoker, the girl would probably not have much to say. Instead, she swallowed her anger and simply mumbled, "These guys are the worst."

The punk who was apparently the leader of the group heard that comment and did not let it go. "Heh, you better shut that mouth. Man, I feel sorry for you, Goatee. This bitch is a pain in the ass…" He spoke with an almost friendly tone before unceremoniously punching Junpei in the gut. Said boy dropped to the ground, holding onto his stomach.

"Junpei!" Both girls screamed for their fallen friend, scurrying over to his side. With her fear finally getting to her, Minako began to cry.

"That's enough."

A familiar voice cut through the atmosphere like glance. Minako squinted a bit until she recognized the incoming figure.

"They didn't know what they were getting into. I'll make sure they leave. Alright?"

It was the guy they briefly met at Akihiko's checkup. When Junpei was asked for the roster for 2-E, the trio stopped by the hospital together, only to find this man in Akihiko's place. They must've been friends.

Now, Akihiko's friend was fighting off the punks that were ganging up on them. He dodged the punk's fists and matched it with a butt to the head, knocking the punk backwards. Just one hit left the gang scurrying off in fear. Minako glanced up in awe of this fearless man who saved them.

"Oh man, Senpai, that was awesome!" Junpei cheered him on, but what was cut off by the intimidating man, whose name was yelled out ceremoniously by one of the punks as Shinjiro.

"You … you guys were in Aki's room at the hospital You idiots!" Minako was not expecting this man to chastise them. He didn't seem like a very caring senpai.

"Get outta here. This place isn't for you." He began to walk away until he passed by Minako's tear stained face. He stopped, getting something from his pocket and handing it to her without so much as a word.

It was a white handkerchief, clean, ironed and pressed.

"You can keep it when you're done."

He tried walking away again, but was stopped by Yukari.

"Wait! We came here for a reason!"

He slowly turned around, sizing them up before asking, "Did Aki tell you to come here?"

Akihiko? Minako let out a stuttered no. Shinjiro merely sighed.

"What do you wanna know? About the ghost story?"

.

The girls who wound up in the hospital all had one thing in common. They all bragged about bullying a girl named Fuuka. Fuuka Yamagishi, SEES's supposed new candidate. According to Shinjiro, the rumor was that Fuuka's spirit put them in the hospital and that the girl might be dead. She had been reported missing by her parents over a week ago.

After Shinjiro told them all he knew, the three shared their thank yous with him, too which he simply answered, "… Don't come around here again."

Minako looked back down at the handkerchief he had given him, now stained with her mascara.

"He was actually very kind wasn't he?" Yukari commented on the way back to the dorm. Minako didn't say anything while Junpei disagreed. She looked back to the handkerchief.

He certainly was.

.

During lunchtime, the trio decided to go to the faculty office and talk to Fuuka's teacher about her disappearance. When they got there, however, Mr. Ekoda was already accosted by Mitsuru and another student. So they were here for the same reason. Mitsuru took charge in the interrogation. She had just begun to question him about Fuuka when the other student yelled out.

"No! I-I never thought it would turn out like this … please, Fuuka…"

"What did you do to Yamagishi?" Mitsuru asked the girl. Mr. Ekoda, however, desperately tried to stop her from saying anything. The girl, Natsuki, spoke on her own.

"Fuuka, she … She always looked so frazzled whenever I gave her a hard time. Then, I realized, she's an honor student, but she's just like us. I knew exactly what buttons to push."

Natsuki admitted to locking Fuuka inside the school gym overnight. A friend came back for her early in the morning, but when she opened the door, it was empty.

They had locked the defenseless girl in the school after hours. But as time passes, the Dark Hour occurs, turning the school into the Tartarus. Could that mean ….?

Mitsuru had the same idea as Minako.

Fuuka Yamagishi was trapped inside of Tartarus.

.

The five members of SEES met up in the Student Council room after school. Waving goodbye to her fellow members, Hidetoshi and Chihiro, Minako stayed behind with Mitsuru, Akihiko, Yukari and Junpei waiting for her. They have decided to infiltrate the campus, and enter Tartarus the same way Fuuka did.

In classroom 2-F, after hours, the group of five met up. Why their classroom? Why not just pick one close to the gym? Minako kept her thoughts to herself, for once.

"First, we have to find the key to the gym. We'll split up into two groups, going to the faculty office and the janitor's room, and meet in the main hallway on the first floor. Understood?" The other four nodded. Mitsuru made a much better leader than Minako. Why couldn't she just lead them?

Junpei himself had other ideas on his mind.

"The faculty office, eh?" He gave out a laugh. "Maybe I'll find some test answers, eh?"

Mitsuru was not amused. "Are you planning something unscrupulous under my supervision?" She spouted with her signature icy glare. "If so, then expect to be severely punished."

"It-it was a joke! I'd never do something like that! Ha, haha…." Junpei laughed nervously. Minako didn't blame him for being so scared; Mitsuru scared everyone. Even Akihiko.

"…Perhaps I'd best take Iori with me to the janitor's room."

Yeah, that'd be best.

"Arisato, I leave it to you who to take along with you."

Minako took a minute to contemplate this. She would love to go with Yukari, but the girl seemed very rattled in the dark and might not be able to handle being in the smaller group. She opted to go with Akihiko instead.

Together, the pair walked down the hallway as quietly as they could, with nothing but the light squeaking of their shoes echoing throughout the hall. Once they made it down the staircase into the main hallway, however, Akihiko saw a flash of light. He held onto Minako's wrist tightly and pulled her behind a nearby pillar.

"Someone's coming!" He said in a hushed whisper. Minako's eyes widened out of shock, but for an entirely different reason. He guided her body to hide behind the tight pillar by shielding her with his own body. They were in a cramped space, so there was absolutely no personal space between the two whatsoever. All they could do was stare into each other's eyes until the security guard left.

Minako tried her hardest not to blush in this kind of situation. Even in the dark, Akihiko might see it and misconstrue it as something else. That didn't stop her lips from trembling. Why were her lips trembling? Because they were about two inches away from Akihiko's, that's why.

Meanwhile, Akihiko's mind was all over the place. He didn't mean to put themselves so close together, he just couldn't let them be seen. That didn't stop him from holding her in such an intimate way, however. If he moved even the slightest bit, their bodies would rub against each other …

Unlike Minako's strong restraint, Akihiko's face was entirely scarlet.

The footsteps began to fade away. The pair counted off the seconds before moving out of their previous positions, allowing them some room to breath.

"…"

"…"

Neither made any motion to speak of this.

They simply chose to ignore it.

Waiting for his flushed face to cool down, Akihiko finally made a motion to leave.

"Alright. Let's go."

.

"Here, I found it! The gym storage key!"

"… That's the wrong key, Senpai."

"Huh? Oh, I-I see."

He began rummaging again, but his mind was still a mess from earlier. He kept searching and searching, but still found nothing.

"It's not here. Must be in the janitor's room."

Minako saw one little key marked 'gym' hanging right next to Akihiko.

"… Are you blind?"

"What?! I'm telling you it's not-" Minako cut him out by dangling the correct key in his face. "Oh."

An awkward silence filled the room.

What they should've done was mention the elephant in the room. They didn't.

They decided to meet up with Mitsuru and the others in the main hall.

.

The new team of Minako, Junpei and Akihiko decided to enter Tartarus. However, something unexpected happened. They were not entering Tartarus in the usual way, and ended up separated. Minako couldn't exactly remember what happened. She was somehow unconscious through it all. When she woke up, she found a familiar face that she was not expecting in the least.

"Are you awake?"

"Ack!" What the- How was he doing this? He shouldn't be here!

The boy remained unaware of her surprise and continued speaking.

"This is the first time we've spoken outside of your room."

"Why are you here? You already made your warning."

The boy merely chuckled. "I told you, remember? I'm always with you."

Yeah, Minako was trying to forget about that. It was just too creepy for her to handle.

"But we don't have much time to talk. Tonight there is more than one ordeal you need to face."

"More than one?!"

"You should hurry. She's waiting for you. You guys will need her."

And he left the same way he usually did. Minako would'vee questioned further, but she began to hear static ringing in her ear. Communication was coming up but the signal was very choppy.

"Are y-oOu alri-? …distan- … oo far.. n't prov- .. back up."

Communication was cut.

Minako was getting scared again. She couldn't survive alone in Tartarus. She needed someone.

She took a few experimental steps. No shadows so far. She took a few more. Then began to walk. Her pace turned into an all-out sprint trying to avoid the shadows and find the stairs. All the while, Mitsuru's connection was going in and out. Mixed in was a second voice.

"Who's there …? … Are you human?"

Fuuka! Yes, she wasn't alone.

Now she just had to find her.

Minako searched everywhere on this floor, but couldn't find anyone but shadows. Once she found the staircase, she decided to move up to the next floor. This wasn't any different from the last. Communication was dropped yet again, and Fuuka's voice rang through the halls.

"Where am I..? Why am I hear …? Please answer me…"

"Fuuka!" Minako called out. But there was no answer. "Fuuka Yamagishi, can you hear me?"

Nothing. Minako continued further through the labyrinth, artfully dodging shadows. She found the next staircase and gave up on this floor. Where was she? By the time she had gotten to the next floor, she was met up with some more familiar faces.

"Hey, there she is!"

"We were worried about you.." There was an award pause in Akihiko's voice.

"Oh yeah," Junpei suddenly called out. "Did you hear a voice while you were in here? Uh, kinda like-"

"Who is this …? Are you human?"

"That's it! That's the voice!" he exclaimed. "It sounded like it came from behind us …"

The three turned their heads slowly to find …

… a pale-faced girl. She had teal hair and was wearing her own version of the school uniform. This must be Fuuka!

.

The boy's warning came true yet again. Not one, but two shadows attacked Minako's friends. This time, however, it was Fuuka who showed her true strength and summoned her own Persona to support them. With her help, they made it through the battle against the Emperor and the Empress. The rest of the nights events forgotten, Minako was too exhausted to think anymore. All she needed to do now was sleep.

.

"Hey Minako?" Yukari stopped her on their way to school.

"Hm?"

"Do you think Mitsuru-sempai saved Fuuka-san for the right reasons?"

What was Yukari going on about? Mitsuru may seem cold, but she wasn't actually coldhearted.

"Hah? What's this about?" Actually, Minako knew what this was about. Yukari, on some level, believed that the untimely death of her father was the fault of the Kirijo Group, the business of Mitsuru's family. What did that have to do with them though? The future wasn't certain on that.

"C'mon, I'm serious! Did she save her for the right reason? Or was it just because she's a Persona-user and we need her …?"

She was really serious about this …

"For the right reasons." At least she thought so.

"I-I guess so….."

Why do awkward silences follow Minako?

"Well, whether or not she joins, it's up to her…"

"That's right Yukari. She does have free will."

"Hey, I thought we beat that sarcastic streak out of you."

.

A few days after the full moon attack, Minako got a text from Akihiko. It seemed that Fuuka had woken up and was being released from the hospital. The text also said to meet up with the chairman on the fourth floor lounge. This could only mean one thing. Fuuka decided to join them.

Minako walked back to the dorm with Junpei after spending some time at Wild Duck Burger. Up on the fourth floor, the Chairman and Fuuka were among the rest of SEES. Some of the color returned to Fuuka's pale face; she looked so much better after her ordeal. The group made their introductions to her, who seemed a bit frazzled and overwhelmed. Much like Minako was when she joined.

"Everyone, you did an excellent job uncovering the truth." The Chairman seemed grateful, but Minako felt that same uncertainty that she always felt with him. Something didn't sit right.

"It's all my fault …" Fuuka looked down, refusing to look anyone in the eye. Minako thought she was rather brave during her endeavor; if it had been Minako trapped alone in Tartarus, she might've lost it.

"You shouldn't say that!" Yukari vehemently disagreed.

"Yamagishi… what you did then… You saved our lives." Mitsuru stepped in. "You should feel good about yourself. You have a special power that you can use to help others."

"A special power…?" Fuuka asked, being lured in by her senior's words.

"You could be a tremendous help to us. Will you lend us your strength?"

"Are you …. asking me to join you?" Fuuka asked questioningly.

"That's correct." Mitsuru verified. The others stepped in as well.

"I think you'd make a good addition to the team, too." Akihiko put in his own two cents.

Yukari butted in. "You know, we're not trying to pressure so if you need some time to think about it …"

"I'll do it."

The entire room was surprised at just how willing Fuuka was in joining them. Minako was probably the most surprised, as she was the most hesitant to join. Did Fuuka realize what she was getting herself into? No, she should've. After all, she had already experienced both Tartarus and the Shadows.

"I'll help too!"

.

Even though she willingly volunteered, Yukari was convinced that Fuuka was forced into SEES. If anything, Minako was the one forced to join AND lead. Not that she said anything like that to Yukari.

There was nothing SEES had to do until the next full moon, so Minako decided to invest a little time into school activities.

That's why the night after Fuuka, something happened that completely took her by surprise.

Minako was awoken by a familiar voice.

"You've prevailed yet again."

"Ack!" He was here? Now?

"Do you remember what I said before?" the mysterious boy asked. Minako would've taken a minute to think of what he told her had she not been utterly shocked at his presence.

"About everything coming to an end?"

Oh yeah. That.

"Well, I recalled something else."

Oh good. Minako wondered what this news could be. Hopefully something good.

"I'm fairly sure that the end is inevitable."

Nope. That's not good news.

"That can't be true!" Minako tried to argue back. But alas, it was no use.

"It is. But it's funny …" He finds all this funny?

"It doesn't seem so certain, considering the vast potential within you."

Oh. That was a compliment in there, wasn't it?

"As a matter of fact, your power seems to have changed quite a bit …. Hey."

Minako looked up at him from her bed. She never really focused on his face, mostly his creepy voice, but there really was something eerily familiar about him. It didn't really hit her until just now. He looked eerily like …._ him_. Minako didn't want to think about it anymore. Instead she listened to his words.

"Can I be your friend? I'm very curious about you … is that okay?" He asked skittishly. For the first time, he seemed sort of … endearing. He was starting to grow on her. Minako no longer wanted to scream "STRANGER DANGER" whenever she saw him.

"First tell me your name." She said with a start. After all, how can one be friends with someone without knowing something like that?

"Name …? Oh I see. I need a name." Minako stared at him.

"You don't have a name?"

"My name ….. is Pharos."

Pharos. He looks so much like _him._

Thou hast established a new bond.

.

Minako was sitting in her classroom during lunch break with Junpei and Yukari when Mitsuru came to visit. With her came the news of the Chairman coming to see them with some news and, as usual, she left as quickly as she came. Minako was curious of what the Chairman had to say, so she and Yukari headed straight home.

Fuuka was standing outside the dorm, playing with an adorable small dog. Minako didn't seem like it, but she was quite the animal lover. She ran up to Fuuka and the dog with stars in her eyes.

"Aww, who is this little guy?" She asked Fuuka with a sweet smile that had never before graced her face in public. Yukari was star struck.

"This is Koromaru. Here, Koro-chan give me your paw!" The white dog barked in response and did what he was told. Minako gushed.

"Oh, he's so smart!"

"I've seen him sitting by the steps on the shrine for a while now."

"Oh!" A woman passing by stops to take a look at Koromaru. "This dog still goes on walks all by himself?"

The girls looked up at her in confusion.

"What do you mean?" Yukari asked the housewife.

"He used to belong to the priest at the Naganaki Shrine." She gossiped. "Every afternoon, the two of them went this way for a walk. Until the priest passed away, that is."

"He passed away?"

Minako looked back down to the dog, who was now whimpering. He seemed to understand they were talking about his old master. He really was a smart dog. Minako's heart couldn't bear to hear the story of his deceased owner. Not while this little guy walked the streets alone.

"I wish we could take him back to the dorm…" Minako voiced her thoughts aloud. The girls nodded their heads in agreement. Even Koromaru barked happily.

"It's too bad. The Chairman probably wouldn't allow it."

"Oh!" Fuuka suddenly realized. "The chairman is coming by today. We should go get ready."

"Yeah. See you later, Koro-chan." Yukari said her goodbyes. Koromaru barked again in response.

Unfortunately, it came time for Minako to leave as well. She gave him a good nuzzle and went inside the dorm.

In the dormitory command room, everyone has been gathered.

"Hello, everyone. I wanted to let you know how my research has been going. It's about those shadows that have appeared during full moons. I want you to listen closely; it might be hard to follow. Shadows can be divided into 12 categories, or arcanas. These Shadows, the ones that have appeared during the full moon, have belonged to categories I though IV, in order of their appearance."

"So ….? Is that something we should be excited about …?" Junpei asked, not seeming to get it. Fuuka, however, understood it perfectly

"I get it. Twelve shadows … so eight we haven't seen yet."

"That's exactly right, Fuuka."

Eight shadows left, huh?

.

"Hey, listen to this! Last time I was out with my boyfriend, he was heading to Shirakawa Boulevard!" A girl gossiped loudly with a friend in front of the school.

"Ewww… I know what was on his mind!"

"We've just started dating but I'm already kind of disgusted. He's got such a dirty mind… Maybe I should dump him."

Maybe she should take this conversation in a private place. Dumbass.

But now that she thought about, Minako did hear a rumor about Shirakawa Boulevard before. Something about finding the Lost in pairs …

Gross.

.

The day of the full moon was now upon them. Minako went straight home after school to prepare herself. She sharpened her naginata, prepared her Evoker, and tidied up her uniform. Only fifteen minutes had passed.

She still had a good seven hours until the Dark Hour.

Minako knew she had to preserve her energy for the Shadow, but this was just ridiculous. She decided to leave the lonely confines of her room and went downstairs to the lounge. Sure enough, every member of SEES was sitting there with the exact same dilemma.

They were bored.

Fuuka fiddled on her laptop, not really searching anything. Mitsuru was shuffling through papers trying to keep herself busy. Akihiko was doing whatever he did with his boxing gloves. Yukari and Junpei sat silently, trying to think of something to do. Finally, Junpei had an epiphany.

"Let's play poker!"

Each and every one of them eyed him with their own special glare.

"Stupei, if you suggest we play some kind of strip poker, I swear-"

"No no, just regular plain old poker! We don't even have to gamble, just throw in any old thing into the pot."

Mitsuru had a contemplative look her face. She wasn't really considering this, was she?

"Well, I suppose if there's no illegal gambling, it should be fine." She said with a confident smirk on her face.

Oh boy. She must be some kind of poker champ or something. She just seemed to exude confidence.

Slowly, each person agreed to the game. Minako was not as confident in her skills as the others were, but it wasn't like there was anything at risk, was there?

.

Yukari walked away with Minako's favorite lip gloss and nail polishes. Dammit. She got way to overconfident and began to bet everything she had. And now … Minako tried her hardest not to cry.

She would never gamble again.

Fuuka surprised the lot with her mad poker skills. She defeated Mitsuru in the final hand with ease. Man did that chick have an amazing poker face. You'd think she would be completely readable with her meek nature, but when the cards were dealt, her face was stone cold.

Damn.

Junpei was one of two, along with Minako, who was so close to betting the shirt on his back. He was quite literally left with nothing. Akihiko cleaned him out of his favorite snacks. Oreos, potato chips, even his lifetime supply of instant noodles. Not that Akihiko even ate any of that stuff. There was no protein in it. He opted to share his winnings with Minako, who hadn't won a thing. Junpei cried.

"Dammit, why me?!" Junpei screamed at the Gods of gambling. It seemed luck was never on his side. His fault for suggesting poker in the first place.

The dorm proved to be quite lively for the rest of the evening.

.

Now the Dark Hour, SEES was gathered in the command room with Fuuka's Persona, Lucia,summoned to help scan the area.

"Any luck, Fuuka?" Akihiko asked her encouragingly.

"…Just a moment … I found it! I sense a strong Shadow!"

"Hey, we were right!" Junpei cheered. Not that it was something worth cheering about.

"It's located in Iwatodai … inside a building on Shirakawa Boulevard."

"Shirakawa Boulevard? Isn't that where the Lost have been found in pairs?" Minako spoke up, remembering the rumors she always heard by the school gate.

"In pairs …" Mitsuru wondered aloud. "Why ….. Oh. I get it." She said disappointedly. Was she really that sheltered?

"What's on Shirakawa Boulevard? I'm not familiar with that area." Fuuka asked innocently. Oh Fuuka.

Junpei was glad to explain it to her. The perv.

"That's where all THOSE hotels are. That explains a lot!" He said with an excited look on his face. He really wanted to go, didn't he? Perv.

"I'm not so sure about this ….." Yukari said hesitantly. Fair enough, considering the shadow's location.

Junpei didn't let her go that easily. "Oh what, are you scared?" He teased. Yukari glared at him, anger boiling in her eyes.

"Fine! But this time I want a piece of the action!"

And Yukari has stepped up to the plate.

"Arisato."

Minako looked up to Mitsuru's line of vision.

"You're in charge again for this operation. Please pick who will go with you and Takeba."

Oh man, Minako was hoping Mitsuru would take the lead for this one. But she was beginning to get used to her leader status. Here's hoping there were no mishaps this time around.

.

Minako had opted to join forces with Yukari, Mitsuru and Akihiko this time around. Poor Junpei was stationed outside of Shirakawa Boulevard with Fuuka, sulking. The old perv really wanted to be a part of this. Minako did not want to know what he would do if he was part of the team.

"Oh come on! Why can I take part in the mission?" He whined to Minako.

"Like we could trust a guy like you in a love hotel." Yukari shot back.

"You're taking Akihiko-senpai and he's a guy!"

"Akihiko-senpai is different." Minako said. "He wouldn't try anything like you would."

Minako would take back those words soon enough.

.

The group of four hurried through the halls up to the third floor of the hotel. There were small shadows on the way to the hotel's luxury suite but they weren't the target that they were after.

Minako opened the door to find the shadow. According to Fuuka's scan it was a Hierophant. It looked more like two figures; one a large man who was being pampered on a throne by the other female figure. It looked like it was getting massaged the entire time they were fighting it. The Hierophant cackled a deadly laugh, but they succeeded in the end.

"Good job everyone!" Fuuka's voice echoed. "I'll see you when you get back."

Akihiko went for the door first; it wouldn't budge.

"Huh?!"

Fuuka's voice resonated through the room yet again.

"I still sense a shadow in that room! It's not the same one you defeated!"

"What?!" Yukari shrieked. "But where is it hiding?"

The team searched every nook and cranny for a lever, a secret door; anything that could get them out.

Yukari walked past the mirror. She stopped in her place and then walked back up to it.

"Is it just me, or is there something strange about this mirror?"

Then everything faded to a bright light.

.

Her head felt foggy. That was the only way she could describe it.

Minako sat on the hotel bed, drying off her wet hair and readjusting her towel.

Why was she here again?

'I guess it doesn't matter…'

She heard the water running. Was there someone else here? Before she could think any more, she heard the water stop. A few seconds later, the door knob to the bathroom began to turn. Someone was coming out.

There he was. Abs glistening from the water, still wet. He barely dried off his body at all but, for the sake of modesty, wore a towel around his waist. Minako smiled.

"There you are."

Akihiko smiled back.

"Here I am."

Minako still couldn't remember, but there was something nagging at her in the back of her head. She ignored it, allowing Akihiko to crawl beside her on the bed as he began to nuzzle her neck. He kissed up her neck up to her ear, and began to nibble at it.

Minako's face flushed as she felt his hot breath on her body. One of his hands trailed up her thigh, playing with the towel covering her body; the other hand held her face as he guided to meet with his.

He shifted his body so that he lay on top of her. Finally, their lips met in a slow, passionate kiss. It intensified, and they both rubbed their hands all over each other. Minako settled her arms around his neck; Akihiko found his hands groping her breasts. All the while, both their towels were just hanging by a thread.

That voice in the back of her head reached her again. This time, Minako listened.

She opened her eyes to find Akihiko's wide eyes staring back at her; their lips were still connected. His hands were still …. There. They broke apart carefully, gripping their towels for dear life.

Neither said anything. Not even so much as glance each other's way. Their faces reddened in embarrassment.

What did that shadow do to them?!

Still gripping on her ….towel, Minako gathered up her clothes and rushed to the bathroom. Akihiko followed her cue and found his clothing lying around. With nowhere else to change, he reluctantly sat on the bed to pull his pants on.

Inside the bathroom, Minako was having a nervous breakdown. She fiddled with the buttons on her shirt but her hands couldn't stop shaking. She faced herself in the mirror. Why did it look like she had sex hair? Did they actually-

No. Minako would not go there. She couldn't think anymore. She sprayed some could water on her face and pinned up her still wet hair.

She didn't remember taking a shower. Did they take one together?

No. Just no.

Minako slammed open the bathroom door to find Akihiko having his own problems buttoning up his shirt. They avoided eye contact.

Neither said anything, yet again. Why was no one saying anything? There was an elephant in the room begging to be pointed out. Its name was Awkward Sexual Tension.

"Oh, I can finally reach you!" Fuuka's voice connected to their minds. Both jumped up in surprise. "Can you two hear me?"

"Fu-Fuuka? Wh-what's going on?" Minako's voice trembled and cracked.

"The Shadow was interfering with your thoughts and you all got separated… The enemy is still in the same room. Please regroup and hurry there."

Right. They were on a mission right now. They were just controlled by the shadows. That was all there was. Really.

Minako turned to the door, desperate to avoid talking about what happened. Akihiko had other ideas.

"Minako…" He lunged forward, grabbing her hand. "Please forgive me."

Minako's back was facing him so he couldn't read her face. They stood like that for hat felt like several minutes until Minako spoke.

"I forgive you."

She shook his grip off her hand and turned the door knob, leaving this forsaken room. Akihiko didn't see her flushed face or the smile that graced her lips.

That shadow was dead meat.

.

"Oh Minako!" Yukari called out to her, having regrouped. "Were you guys okay?"

"Err …. How about you guys?" Minako asked, sidestepping the question.

"W-We're fine! Nothing happened!" Mitsuru burst out unexpectedly. It didn't take a genius to connect the dots. Especially since each and every one of them has shower fresh, wet hair.

That shadow was still dead meat.

.

One can only imagine the kind of torture that shadow went through that night.

The team left the love hotel, hoping to erase it from their lives completely. Everyone wanted to forget the events that occurred in those hotel rooms. All but two.

Minako was too distracting fighting the shadow, but after it was defeated, her mind went back to what happened. The fog over her memories was starting to clear and she was beginning to remember more. Akihiko's touch left a deep impression on her body; she felt her face flush in a moment's notice just thinking about it. She shook her head, fighting it off. Minako would not think about this anymore. He apologized for his actions, and she accepted. They never had to speak of this ever again.

So why did it hurt so much?

"Hey Minako." Junpei's voice startled her. He had been so quiet on the way back from the hotel.

"Junpei?"

His face scrunched. "What're you trying so hard for?"

Oh? Did he notice how hard she was thinking?

"I'm sorry. Were you worried about me?" She asked innocently. Junpei scrunched his face even more if that was possible.

"Meh, like it really matters …" He shirked her words off and kept walking ahead of her. Yukari noticed the way he was avoiding Minako.

"Dude, what's the matter with you? You gonna keep sulking cuz a girl's the leader instead of you?"

"Sh-shut up!" He screamed bitterly. He quickened his pace, practically running away from the girls. Yukari turned to Minako.

"What's up HIS butt?"

Minako couldn't say. All she knew was how hurt she felt for having dear friend avoid her.


	4. Ya Ku Shi Ma!

Akihiko approached her during lunchtime. Her heart started beating like crazy. It's been doing that whenever he was nearby, ever since the love hotel incident. He asked her if he could walk her home. Minako wasn't expecting it, considering how awkward they've been with each other, but accepted anyway. Just as they got to the dorm, however, Akihiko stopped her. He remained completely silent for some reason. Minako bit her tongue at the tension.

"Are you … angry?" He seemed taken aback by this line of questioning.

"Huh? … Oh, no, sorry." He mumbled, scratching his head. This was really awkward. Minako wanted to say something, anything really. Akihiko started before she could think of anything.

"Look," he spoke slowly and hesitantly. "If you don't want to tell me, then you don't have to."

"… okay?" Minako answered, obviously confused. What was he getting at?

"It's just ….."

"…." She waited in anticipation.

"Is it true you're going out with Junpei?"

Minako was really not expecting that.

"Wh-what? No!"

Akihiko seemed to be reassured. "I see… Oh no, it was just a rumor I heard. Sorry."

"Please don't get the wrong idea, Senpai."

"I-I see. I'm sorry. I just- I didn't want to-" He had trouble forming his next words.

"I didn't want to get in the way of anything. After what happened."

Minako gulped. It was supposed to be some kind of unspoken rule not to mention the incident ever again and Akihiko broke it. She didn't really know what to say next.

"It's bad enough that I was tricked by a rumor, but then to confront you about it … it was incredibly rude of me. If I hear anyone say that again, I'll tell them it's not true."

Minako nodded her head. "Yes, please do."

The pair fell into a comfortable silence, not like the awkward silence they had on the walk to the dorm. Minako began to feel more comfortable around Akihiko. After his own confrontation of sorts, she felt it was easier to talk to him. They made some idle chat here and there, mostly about their friends from SEES. The topic somehow left that subject and went to the rumors about her and Junpei.

"Do you think Junpei heard the rumor too?" Minako asked, eating the takoyaki Akihiko bought her on the dorm's steps. They stayed out a little while longer to take advantage of the amazing weather they'd been having.

"Probably not. He would've said something to you, wouldn't he? You guys are pretty close." Akihiko mentioned, with just a tiny hint of jealousy that went unnoticed.

Minako stopped eating and thought back to her friend. They WERE very close; Minako even considered Junpei to be her best friend over Yukari. But something was off with Junpei ever since the last full moon operation. He began avoiding her, stopped speaking to her altogether, and if he did say a word about her it was laced with hostile tones. It actually really hurt Minako to think that Junpei hated her. She didn't really expect to make friends in Iwatodai, but she did. And these were the kind of friends she wanted to hold onto for as long as she could. So for Junpei to hate Minako would be like stabbing a knife in her back.

"Minako?"

She snapped out of her thoughts. Right. She was with Akihiko now. No time for deep thinking.

"Right. He hadn't said anything so ….."

Akihiko sensed her dampened mood and decided a change in venue was in order. He suddenly stood up from the dorm's steps, startling Minako.

"C'mon. We're gonna go out to eat."

"What? But we were already eating takoyaki."

"That was just an appetizer. I think we're ready for the main course." He said, holding out his hand. Minako looked up to him and smiled. Her senpai succeeded in brightening her mood. She took his hand and stood up, letting him guide her movement. They walked together, hand in hand, to the restaurant of Akihiko's choosing.

Neither let go of the other's hand.

.

"It's good to see you again."

"Hello Pharos."

They met in her bedroom during the Dark Hour, like they usually did. This time, however, Minako welcomed his presence. Despite what he says, Pharos speaks with a childish innocence that reminded Minako of someone she loved. She couldn't turn her back on him anymore.

"How long has it been since we first met? Time passes so quickly."

Minako smiled. "You're certainly right about that."

"So, how's life as a Persona-user?"

"To be honest … it doesn't feel quite right."

Pharos raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"It feels like … something's missing."

"I wonder what … I hope you'll find it soon."

Minako knew it was impossible. Her life would always be incomplete ever since that day.

"I remembered something else about the coming end…"

Minako froze. Whenever Pharos reached that topic, it sent chills down her spine. Were his words really true? She couldn't allow herself to think about it any longer.

"It all goes back to an occurrence that took place many years ago. Ten years ago, if I remember correctly." Minako's ears perked up.

"Hey. Didn't your family pass away ten years ago?"

Now he was just mocking her.

His words did, however, remind her of an incident that Yukari brought up at the last SEES meeting. The explosion at the school, caused by Mitsuru's grandfather.

Was there some connection?

"A Persona is like a mirror." Pharos spoke again. "Which means a Persona-user can never escape from their true self. Regardless, I will stay with you. Because we're friends."

Minako felt their bond tighten.

"Goodnight, my dearest …."

.

Everyone sat together in the dorm lounge, but nobody spoke. Everyone was left in an awkward funk after Mitsuru revealed her grandfather's past of experimenting with Shadows and basically creating the Dark Hour.

"What's wrong, everyone? Are you guys hungry?" Akihiko asked, not sensing the mood of the room.

"N-not really …" Yukari mumbled, avoiding eye contact with Mitsuru. What was up with her? She ousted Mitsuru completely out of the blue during the last SEES meeting. What was she trying to get after?

The awkward silence continued to fill the room. Fuuka made an attempt to break it.

"Um…. Y-you know, it's almost summer break. Do you have any plans?"

Junpei took the bait.

"I wish I could go to the beach. Hot sand, cool breeze … babes in bikinis … Man that sure would be nice! Too bad we got friggin exams to take …" Junpei mumbled.

"Now now …" Fuuka tried to calm him. "But yeah, I'd love to go somewhere else famous for its beaches, like Okinawa." The entire group sighed, dreaming of a beach paradise.

"Well, it's not Okinawa, but how about Yakushima?" A third party entered into the discussion. The whole group turned their heads to find the Chairman at the entrance.

"Mr. Chairman … we weren't expecting you …"

"Mitsuru, your father will be vacationing in Yakushima during the break … it might be a good time to pay a visit … all of you."

"Seriously?!" Junpei asked full of excitement. "We're going on a trip?! YES! Beach babes, here comes Junpei!"

The all-around atmosphere seemed to brighten and everyone was now bubbling with excitement.

"How about it, Mitsuru?" The Chairman asked.

"But …" Mitsuru was hesitant. "My father is a busy man. I don't want to ruin his vacation."

"Nonsense! No father would be upset with his daughter over something like that. You've all done a great job. You deserve to relax for a while." Ikutsuki reasoned with Mitsuru.

She was still on the fence. Junpei groveled at her feet, practically begging her.

"… Alright."

"YESSSS! WOOHOO!"

"The beach.. I should design a special training regimen."

"I have to go buy a swimsuit …"

Everyone was chattering about the vacation. In the midst of the excitement, Mitsuru snuck her way out and left for her room.

.

"I'm done, baaaaaby! The dark days of testing are finally over! The sun is shining!" Junpei yelled out dramatically.

"So how'd you do?"

"Check it, I aced P.E."

"Well that pretty much answers that question …"

Yukari and Junpei continued their back and forth as Minako watched. It felt good to hear Junpei in high spirits again. Whatever he had been going through before seemed to disappear. Minako was glad.

"Hey …" Junpei spoke to Minako in a hushed tone after Yukari left. "Um … I'm sorry about the way I've been acting …. I was just in a bad mood and took it out on you. I know it wasn't too cool of me …"

… Was he acknowledging her? Minako began to feel tears form in her eyes. He was talking to her again! She had her best friend back! She was feeling all sorts of happiness, some of which came out as tears. Junpei started freaking out.

"Holy shit you're crying … Handkerchief! Where's my handkerchief?" His freakout made her burst into a laughing fit, which looked very strange with tears rolling down her face.

"What the- are you messing with me?!" Junpei yelled. Minako responded by wrapping him into the biggest bear hug she could muster.

"I missed you Junpei." He smiled.

"I missed you too, Mina-tan."

.

"Hey Akihiko-senpai, whatcha doing out here?" Junpei asked, spotting his senior by the front gate after school. Minako's heart beat faster.

"Ikutsuki called me. I think he wants to talk about a new candidate."

"Oh? Someone new is going to join?"

"Maybe …"

"Ooh, is it gonna be another girl?!"

"How should I know?"

In the craziness of it all, Minako found Ikutsuki approaching them in the corner of her eye. With him was a boy around elementary school age. Oh no. No no no. Minako had a bad feeling about this.

His name was Ken Amada. He was moving into their dorm for the summer.

He had the potential.

He was their new candidate.

.

Inside the ferry bound for Yakushima, that same awkward silence washed over the group. Only Junpei didn't get the memo.

"Awesome!" He screamed out, practically hanging off the safety bars. "There it is! Ya-ku-shi-maaaaaa!"

Usually his enthusiasm was contagious. Not this time.

"W-Wow…. So many … tropical plants…" Fuuka awkwardly pointed out. Seriously? Was that the best she could do?

The atmosphere between Mitsuru and Yukari was still heavy no matter what Fuuka did to change it.

"it's totally amazing, huh? Man, this is so awesome …. And I'm not even kidding!" Junpei continued screaming. What the hell? Was he trying to get Yukari to verbally abuse him like she always did? No matter what he said, she wouldn't take the bait. The rest of the group just stared at him strangely. Mostly Minako.

Junpei sighed. Operation Get The Girls Out Of Their Funk was an epic fail.

.

Junpei didn't want to waste a single moment. As soon as they hit land, he announced that he was going to the beach and basically forced everyone to change and meet him. Minako was not looking forward to this part. Yukari forced her to buy a more risqué swimsuit than she was used to. It wasn't anything too out there, just a frilly bikini, but it showed off every curve of her body. If there was one person she didn't want to show off her body to, it would be Akihiko. Junpei too, with his own perverted mind, but she especially didn't want Akihiko to see.

Minako reluctantly left the changing area to see the open beach. It was almost entirely empty besides Junpei and Akihiko talking to each other and a few ladies scattered about the beach. Yukari came out of the changing room at the same time as her.

"Ugh, could he be any louder?" Yukari moaned over Junpei's excited remarks about the beach. Though they weren't that close anymore, Minako could tell that Yukari really didn't want to be here. And it was obvious it had something to do with the Kirijo family. It always did with her.

"But yikes, what's up with Akihiko-senpai's swimsuit?"

Minako couldn't tell at first as she walking, but once they got closer, she could see.

Holy mother of Persona.

He was wearing a speedo. It covered even less than the towel did in the hotel.

"I can feel my face getting red just looking at it." Yukari commented. Meanwhile, Minako's face was a new shade of bright red. Please let it pass off as a really quick sunburn.

"Yo." Akihiko called out to them. "About time you guys got here …. Something wrong Yukari?" He asked, noticed the strange look she was giving him.

"That's a …. pretty small swimsuit." She awkwardly pointed out. Akihiko got a certain glint in his eye that Minako was quite familiar with.

"What, don't you know? Swimsuits like this reduce water resistance and—"

"We get it." Minako cut him off gruffly. Of course it wasn't a fashion statement for him. It's always about his exercise regimen. She might have been a bit too cruel in shutting him up, though.

Yukari turned to Junpei, who'd been unnaturally quiet this whole time.

"…. Junpei? What's the matter? You look even dumber than usual."

Junpei's face was a matching shade of red with Minako's. Bet he couldn't blame it on a sunburn either.

"Maaaaan…. Talk about a feast for the eyes! Yuka-tan's wearing a more aggressive model than I would've imagined!" He cried out, announcing them like a perverted game show host.

"And check out our leader! She's one cute mermaid herself! Those curves she usually keeps covered up are looking good! I can't tear my eyes away!"

Gee thanks Junpei. Focusing on the one area she wanted to avoid. Perv.

Junpei wasn't the only one who couldn't tear his eyes away. Akihiko was …. On no. He was staring at her with this look in his eyes. This 'I've seen you naked' look. She was wearing a towel, for Persona's sake. He didn't see anything. He only felt her up! And kissed her….

…. Crap, she thought about it. Her entire body flushed red due to her thoughts and the extra attention to her barely covered body.

Minako hated the beach.

Once Junpei announced every 'contestant' as they came down to the beach, the girls separated into one group and the guys another. While the girls commented on how beautiful Mitsuru's skin was, Minako was in earshot and heard the guys' side of the conversation.

"Pssst. Akihiko-senpai. Level with me … Which one's your type?"

Her ears perked up.

She watched with unwavering attention as Akihiko whispered into Junpei's ears.

She cursed mentally. She couldn't catch a single word until Akihiko was done.

"Huh?! Really?!" Was Junpei's reaction.

"K-Keep your voice down!" Akihiko said with a hushed urgency.

"Man senpai, you have some taste in chicks…"

Minako would kill if she could just know whose name it was. Was it Yukari? It was Fuuka, wasn't?

She could've sworn she saw him glance a certain redhead's way.

Oh.

Oh no.

She would never be able to compete with Mitsuru. Mitsuru was on a completely different compared to Minako. Mitsuru was a Lahmborgini, Maserati, or a Porsche and Minako was, what a Mini Cooper or something? She didn't know anything about cars, but the one thing she did know was no guy wanted to drive a Mini Cooper. When given the choice, they'd always choose the sportscar.

Minako was shaken out of her self-induced funk when she noticed everyone had left for the water. She went to follow them, but couldn't help but feel as if someone was watching her.

.

A lot of drama went on that night when Mitsuru's father revealed to the gang a long lost video before the accident. A video that contained the dying message of Yukari's father.

Yukari ran out and while Minako succeeded in momentarily calming her down, it didn't help lower the tension surrounding the group.

The next morning the girls hiked along the trails to look for some historic landmark of some sort. Fuuka and Minako, the two most introverted girls, mainly carried the conversation.

"Ah, the air is so fresh … I never thought a walk in the woods would be this enjoyable." Fuuka exclaimed, taking in the sights.

"That's true. You can't do this in Iwatodai." Minako agreed.

Meanwhile, Yukari and Mitsuru trailed behind them, as sullen and silent as ever.

"Oh, so listen to this. Junpei was acting like such a pervert yesterday, and I didn't know how to react…"

"Oh that's easy," Minako directed. "Just flick him on the nose like a dog."

"R-really?" Fuuka asked, actually believing Minako's words.

The sarcastic girl only shrugged. "Probably …"

"Well, it's a good thing we came out here by ourselves …" Fuuka said, turning her attention to Yukari and Mitsuru. Neither paid much attention.

Just then, Mitsuru's cell phone ranging.

"Mitsuru speaking."

The other girls heard brief mumbling over the phone.

"One moment, let me switch over to speakerphone." She told the caller, pressing a little button. "Please continue.

"Well, I'm at the lab here on the island," It was the Chairman. "And a machine that was considered inoperable suddenly left the facility on its own."

"A machine?" That caught Yukari's attention. Not Minako's dog flicking joke.

.

The girls were tasked with the mission of finding the Anti-Shadow combat weapon, some kind of tank or something, somewhere on the island. For now, they split up to cover more ground. Minako was nearby one of the historical sites when she felt a strong gaze upon her. Feeling kind of creeped out, she turned around to find some kind of strange girl staring back at her. Not wanting to be rude for once in her life, Minako decided to talk to the girl.

"May I help you?"She mustered up as much civility as she could. The girl stared at her with unwavering concentration.

"Now I am certain."

….What? What was she talking about?

"I have found you."

This was getting creepy. Then she started to embrace Minako. How was this getting EVEN creepier?

"I have been searching for you."

Wait, so she was the weird presence Minako felt earlier? How many stalkers did she have? First Pharos, now this chick.

"My highest priority is to be with you!"

Oh my god, this girl was up to 11 on the creepy scale. It doesn't get any higher than that.

"There she is … wait what? What's going on here?!"

Oh great, more people were getting involved with her stalkers. Both Junpei and Akihiko have arrived on the scene.

"I see. So that's her preference…" Akihiko awkwardly stared at the girls. Oh no, now he was getting the wrong idea.

"Wait, what? This isn't like that!" Minako tried to fight the girl off but damn was she strong. Even more people rushed to scene. Now everyone was here. Awesome.

"There you are, Minako … huh? Junpei?!" Really? That was what Yukari focused on? Not the strange girl locking Minako in a big embrace?

"We've been looking everywhere! You have no idea what we've been going through and- Wait, why that girl hugging you?"

There it is.

"She says I'm her priority or something like that." Minako answered flippantly, as if that didn't need any further explanation.

"….. What?" Basically everyone was confused now. Especially Junpei.

"Wait … so she IS a lesbian? …. And you …?" Her eyes widened and she screamed at Junpei.

"NO!"

Mitsuru took charge of the situation. Now all eyes were on her as she gave the group her debriefing.

"Listen, we've encountered a problem. I'm sorry to cut the vacation short. Go back to the house and prepare for battle-"

"That won't be necessary. We've found what we were looking for."

Suddenly Ikutsuki showed up out of the blue. How did he find them in the middle of the woods? Did he have a tracking device on them?! Minako wouldn't put it past the Chairman to do something like that.

Yukari looked confused. Who else was?

"What do you mean?"

Ikutsuki turned to the girl who had basically locked Minako in a chokehold.

"You had me worried. You don't have permission to leave the lab, Aigis."

So the creepy girl has a name. She answered slowly and mechanically.

"… I know."

She was still holding onto Minako. There entire walk back to the Kirijo mansion, the girl named Aigis insisted on guiding Minako, essentially holding her hand as one would a child. Minako was not amused.

.

"I apologize for all the trouble. Everything is under control, now." Ikutsuki announced to the group as they gathered in the living room.

"So what happened to the tank?"

"Oh that. Come here Aigis."

The girl who seemed to be obsessed with Minako walked into the room. This time she seemed to have underwent a wardrobe change. Gone was her light blue sundress. Her shoulder and knee joints were now visible to the group, earning a shocked look on every face. Her face certainly seemed human enough, but the rest of her body was completely mechanical. Ikutsuki officially introduced her.

"This is Aigis. As you can now see, she is a mechanical maiden." That certainly earned a questionable look or two. Or six.

"I am Aigis. My mission is to destroy shadows. I have been assigned to SEES, effective immediately."

Yukari, Fuuka and Akihiko gawked at her in amazement. Junpei sighed and blushed.

"She's so cute …. But she's a robot …."

Mitsuru was in shock and awe. Was she not aware of the technology her own family had produced?

"She can destroy shadows … does that mean …?" Mitsuru had come to her own conclusions. Aigis answered her question for her.

"Yes." She spoke hollowly. "I am capable of operating the Persona 'Padallion'."

More stunned looks came about.

"Wow … a machine that can summon a Persona." Fuuka seemed especially amazed by Aigis' technology. Perectly fitting, considering Fuuka's affinity for machines. She had the look of a child in a candy shop.

"Um …" Yukari turned to Aigis. "When I saw you earlier, it looked like you knew Minako…."

Good observation, Yukari, let's question the stalker!

"Yes. It is very important for me to stay by her side."

And when she says that, she means stalking her.

"Hmm…" Ikutsuki began to think. "Perhaps her identification system is malfunctioning…."

"Is there … a way to fix it?" Minako asked, trying not to sound too hopeful in getting rid of her robot stalker.

"This is quite interesting …" Oh great, he was ignoring her.

Well this vacation was definitely something. Two days in and Minako found herself a souvenir to take home. A robot. She better not be staying in her room.

.

"Good morning!"

Die whoever that is.

"Please wake up."

Die.

Minako reluctantly opened her eyes to find the mechanical maiden not two inches away from her face.

"You've awakened safely. Mission complete."

In her post-sleep daze, her mind wandered. Mission? There was a mission? Was there a Shadow? Let' crush that shadow! She began wrestling with her blanket as if she was under attack. That, in turn, led to her rolling off the bed and bumping her head on her nightstand.

"Warning! Such activity in the morning is too strenuous."

Minako was not going to like Aigis.

.

Well, this was it. Summer break has officially started and elementary student Ken Amada has begun his stay in the dorm. Minako was quite unsettled to learn that a ten-year-old boy was their newest candidate. If he did awaken to his potential, he would be forced to face things no child should ever go through. Why was he forced to have his innocence stripped away, just like that? No, Minako saw no need to do that to Ken.

Thankfully, he was only here as an inhabitant of the dorm, so Minako decided to be as welcoming as possible. Next to animals, young children were her weak point. She had made quite a friend out of Maiko, the young girl who likes to play at the shrine.

"Hi, Ken-kun. I'm Minako. It's nice to officially meet you." She said with a wide smile that rivaled even Yukari's. Ken nodded his head with a smile of his own.

"It's nice to meet you too, Minako-san." He replied shaking her hand. Ooh, so mature.

The general opinion of having Ken stay at the dorm was mixed. Junpei was happy to play "big bro", though he wasn't exactly needed. Fuuka also thought of Ken as adorable brother. Aigis was interested too. In what, Minako just couldn't tell with the robotic girl.

Then there were the people on the fence. Yukari had known Ken-kun for a while now. She was obviously like Minako in that she didn't want him involved with Shadows. Mitsuru was indifferent to Ken's appearance in the dorm, as long as nobody discussed Shadows with him. Then there was Akihiko who was a bit of a question mark. He seemed to avoid Ken from the very beginning, which was rather odd. From what Minako could gather after their past outings, Akihiko seemed to take a liking to children. There was one instance when a child was screaming his head off in the middle of a restaurant and while most people would get up and leave, Akihiko seemed to be completely oblivious, even calling him "spirited".

So why did Akihiko seem so hesitant about Ken Amada?

.

Because Minako was roped into the Tennis Club, she also got sucked into some tennis fellowship at another school. She had to lay off going to train in Tartarus because the preparation for it completely wiped her out.

She dragged her body across the lounge and plopped onto the nearest couch, next to Ken and Akihiko. Ken was practically worshipping Akihiko as some kind of hero.

"Sanada-senpai, you always wear those gloves when you fight right? I heard you're undeafeated! That's so cool!" He exclaimed with a sparkle in his eye. Akihiko shifted in his seat uncomfortably.

"Yeah … it's no big deal, really…"

Seriously, why was he so uncomfortable around Ken? Minako thought it in her sleepy daze. She noticed Ken had walked away and took it as her opportunity to interrogate Akihiko.

"What's wrong?"

Akihiko looked up to find her staring down at him.

"Nothing's wrong, Minako."

"Oh really? Ken-kun obviously admires you but you're just turning your head."

Akihiko made a motion to speak, but then shut himself up. He was clearly hiding something, and Minako was itching to know.

"I'm used to girls staring at me …" Minako raised an eyebrow. He certainly wasn't winning her over with his choice of words. "But it's kinda weird when a little kid is doing it."

"Oh shove it, Aki. That's weak and you know it."

Akihiko was startled with how informal she was speaking. Minako realized her mistake and tried to correct her words.

"I-I'm sorry, senpai. I don't know what came over me ….."

"You …." He said with a goofy look on his face. "You called me Aki."

She blushed at her own words. Did she really?

"I heard you friend- Shinjiro-senpai- call you that once." She said weakly, twiddling her fingers. "I kinda thought it suits you …."

Akihiko's face matched Minako's own blushing face. "I like hearing it from you."

"Awww, are you two done flirting? I'm eating here!"

Oh crap. The two forgot they were speaking in a public area. Junpei's outburst turned every head towards them. And they thought their faces couldn't possibly be any redder.

.

The dreaded emergency alarm sounded during the Dark Hour. Fuuka's voice ran through Minako's ears.

"Sorry to wake you! But I detect a Shadow! Please hurry to the fourth floor!"

Hoping that the alarm didn't wake Ken, Minako tiptoed down the hall with a silent Yukari. Upstairs, everyone was gathered in their pajamas, confused and flustered.

"What's going on?! We still got a week until the full moon!" Junpei cried out, basically voicing everyone's thoughts.

Only Mitsuru was dressed all prim and proper. Does that woman ever sleep?

"There's a shadow in the city. Yamagishi found it by chance." She directed everyone's attention to Fuuka, in her frilly long night gown. Those are some pretty nice pajamas she's got on.

"It seems to be a normal shadow. But it IS outside of Tartarus."

"It's near Naganaki Shrine. Akihiko went ahead since he was in the area."

Minako's mind wandered. Just what was Akihiko doing in the middle of the night anyway? Was it something scandalous? Was he … meeting a girlfriend?! No… this is Akihiko she was thinking about. More than anything, Minako was willing to bet he was doing some sort of training regimen.

Fuuka's communicator sounded. "Yes, this is Fuuka."

Akihiko was on the other line. "I'm here. Sorry, but I think you guys better come, right away."

"What's wrong? Is it a powerful shadow?"

"No, it's been defeated. In fact, it was already defeated when I got here. This little fella's been injured. I wanna save him if we can."

Huh? Little fella? Who was that?

Turns out the little fella was a dog. Koromaru, to be exact. Koro-chan fought the shadow all by himself, and got hurt in the process. Poor guy. So, if Koromaru was conscious during the Dark Hour, did that mean he was a Persona-user? Or did it work differently for animals? Could a dog even have a Persona? But how could even a dog have a mask of his own?

.

Another full moon passed and with it, another full moon shadow. This time, a new adversary has also appeared. They call themselves Strega and they are also Persona-users. Great, evil Persona-users. Just when Minako had gotten used to the rhythm of things. And the leader of Strega, Takaya? He had quite a striking resemblance with the Chairman.

.

"Hi. How are you?"

It was that time again. Minako was starting to welcome Pharos' presence. He reminded her of someone, she just couldn't put her finger on it.

"Not too good, Pharos."

"Is it because of the coming end?"

"Well there's that, too."

For all the times he's talked about the coming end, Minako just hadn't taken into consideration that his words may be true.

"So tell me what's bothering you."

"Well, we have a new enemy … They're called Strega and …."

The rest of the Dark Hour consisted of talking between the two. Pharos would let her vent about her daily stresses and calm her down as a result. It almost felt like they were … family.

.

Mitsuru called everyone together for an impromptu meeting of SEES. The full moon shadow was already defeated, so it couldn't have been a new mission. Everyone looked at each other in confusion. Just what was this meeting about?

Mitsuru opened the door and walked in. Who followed her then caused an uproar among the females.

"Koro-chan?!"

Fuuka and Minako, avid dog lovers jumped to his side. He was wearing a strange collar that seemed complete with … angel wings?

"Are you okay?!

"Where'd this collar come?"

Mitsuru calmly explained; the collar was designed as an Evoker to bring out Koromaru's Persona. So he was going to join them in battle after all.

Koromaru barked and Aigis translated.

"I'll return the favor."

"Aw…. You are so loyal. Welcome aboard, Koro-chan!" Minako exclaimed happily. She didn't even care that she was forced into taking summer classes even though she was the top of her class. She really did love animals.

Their family was just getting bigger.

.


	5. Nice to meet you, Shinji!

"So tomorrow there's a festival at the shrine. We should go together."

"Hey, did you know about the festival at Naganaki Shrine? Wanna check it out?"

"Would you like to go with me to the shrine's festival tomorrow afternoon?"

No matter how he said it, everything sounded wrong.

What was wrong with him? He'd already gone out with her hundreds of times. They trained together. Got beef bowl together. Went to Hagakure together. So why was this one instance so much harder than all the others?

Akihiko was going through his thoughts with a fine toothed comb, desperately to pick out any ticks or faults. Little did he know that all his planning would be ruined with a simple sentence.

"Minako. I wish to see the festival with you."

Dammit all, Aigis beat him to it.

"What?"

Minako was dumbstruck. The robotic maiden made it a point to follow her everywhere she went, so she had no time to be alone and absolutely no time to spend with any other friends. She was heard about the festival earlier from Junpei, who hinted about a certain boxer that wanted to invite her. Said boxer hadn't said a word to her, so Minako was running out of options. She didn't want to have Aigis glued to her hip at some festival.

Was there no one to rescue her?

"That's a great idea. We should all go together."

Thank you, Yukari. While not completely getting her out of it, she at least cushioned Minako's pain. And it wasn't all that bad, going to the festival with everyone. Maybe it wouldn't be too bad.

Minako didn't notice Akihiko sulking in the corner.

His plans were ruined.

.

Yukari roped every girl into wearing a yukata for the festival. The girls took their time getting ready, as Aigis was especially confused by their battle gear, so Akihiko and Junpei went ahead to meet them there.

"Wow, the crowd's a lot bigger than I thought it would be!"

The guys turned around, hearing Yukari's voice to find the heavenly quintet in their yukatas. Junpei's face changed to reveal a huge grin on his face.

"Woo-hoo! I love seeing a girl in a yukata, and now there's five of them? It's like a dream come true, huh Senpai?" He nudged Akihiko, who seemed a little shell-shocked. "What makes it really sexy is that it looks hard to walk in, don't you think? Seriously, why don't people just walk around in yukatas? They should make it our school uniform."

Junpei kept going on and on about yukatas. Yukari, Minako and Mitsuru had matching aggravated looks on their faces. Minako was certain that Mitsuru would've executed him on the spot if only there were no witnesses. Yukari was going to do it no matter what.

"Stupei …." She growled. Junpei suddenly hid behind Akihiko, who still hadn't made a motion of any kind. Was there something wrong with him? Minako hesitantly approached him.

"Akihiko-senpai …." She didn't really know what to say here. " How … how do I look?" She asked shyly. Oh great, now there was something wrong with her!

"Oh! Um …. Well ….. It .. uh … it makes it hard to look directly at you …. I-I mean you look very good in it! ….. Please don't get mad." Akihiko blubbered like an idiot. Minako thought it was rather cute of him actually. Junpei didn't seem to think so.

"Heh, smooth, senpai. Real smooth." He goaded from behind Akihiko, still hiding from Yukari.

Meanwhile, Fuuka was trying to keep Aigis from going off on her own.

"Aigis! You can't leave our side, please! Oh no, she's not listening! Please get back here!" The meek girl cried out in frustration as the wondering robot explored on her own. Fuuka managed to capture her, but couldn't drag her back due to the immeasurable force that Aigis was demonstrating. Mitsuru shook her head.

"Honestly…. Must we restrain you?"

Aigis only seemed to have eyes and ears for Minako and wished for her to walk around with her, much to Akihiko's dismay. Minako sarcastically asked if they should hold hands to which Aigis vehemently agreed to and carted her away to the nearest takoyaki stand. Oh great, another person who doesn't understand sarcasm.

After consuming their treats, Aigis and Minako continued to walk hand in hand, confusing many a person, including Akihiko. Was his initial impression of the robot correct? Was Aigis of a …. different persuasion? Her obsession with Minako certainly made it seem likely. Come to think of it, could robots even be of a different persuasion?

Something caught Aigis's eye.

"What is that?" She asked, pointing to the mask stand. Akihiko and Minako followed her.

"Oh they're masks … I remember those." Akihiko reminisced with a smile on their face. "500 yen huh? I can actually afford them now. Why don't we buy some?"

"What is the purpose of a mask?" Aigis asked hollowly. Akihiko scratched his forehead.

"Well .. um … I guess to hide your face? It's fun."

"Hiding your face is fun?" She asked again, not understanding. Minako tried to put in her own two cents.

"That's not it. A mask is kind of like …. a different face."

"You try to be someone else by wearing a different face?"

Mitsuru heard her comprehension of the term and applauded her.

"Yes, exactly. At this rate of understanding, Aigis, the Chairman may give you permission to go out on your own."

Uh-oh. Minako could only imagine what Aigis could do on her own.

The day slowly turned into night and the group had seen everything there was to the festival. After a relaxing night together, they walked back to the dorm chatting about the festival and more summer plans. Junpei mentioned a movie marathon at the local theatre that sounded very interesting. Yukari and Fuuka were talking about doing some shopping in Paulownia Mall. Akihiko decided to stick to his training regimen and offered to train Minako once again; she refused.

.

"So you guys took Aigis-san to the Summer Festival …" Ken looked down as he and Minako spoke in the lounge the next day. On no, they left Ken out of the festival. Was he sad?

"I'm a little surprised I didn't hear anything on the news about it. I guess no one noticed that Aigis is a robot. She must've been in stealth mode …."

Minako did a double take. Ken knew Aigis was a robot?! He wasn't supposed to know about the shadows or Tartarus, so Minako assumed that the knowledge about Aigis would also be forbidden. She guessed that they didn't really hide it very well, letting Aigis walk around with her mechanical body exposed. What was Mitsuru thinking?

Throughout Minako's line of thinking, she couldn't help but notice how sad Ken looked. So he WAS depressed because they accidentally left him out of the festival. Remembering what Junpei said about the movie marathon, Minako decided to rectify the situation.

"Ken-kun? Would you like to go to the movies with me today? I think they're showing the Neo Featherman trilogy."

"Neo Featherman?! I love hi- I mean he's okay …. For a child. But you want to see it, I won't let you go alone." He tried to mask his excitement but it was just way too obvious.

Minako laughed. "Let's go!"

.

For the next few days after their movie adventure, Minako and Ken were as close as ever. They ate their meals together, walked Koromaru together, and chatted all the time. If one didn't know any better, they would think the two were siblings.

That's why when Ken suddenly began acting distant, Minako automatically knew something was wrong. She found him on the 2nd floor more often than not, away from the crowd in the lounge. One day, she tried speaking to him. He only said this:

"I always thought there was something I had to do. But I could never achieve it, because there was so much else in the way."

Something he had to do? Could it be …about his mother?

"But I've made up my mind. The next chance I get, I'll do it."

"Do what?" She asked hesitantly, as if not wanting to know his true feelings.

Ken merely shook his head. "I'm sorry, Minako-san. I need to be alone right now."

And he shut her out.

Minako continued to worry about Ken until that Friday, when the Chairman called a meeting. There, Minako got all the answers she needed.

"Good. You're all here."

Ikutsuki motioned for someone to come into the command room. The hairs on the bac of Minako's neck stood up.

"Sorry to interrupt."

It was Ken-kun.

He decided to join SEES.

"After running several tests, we've learned he has more than adequate potential. I called this meeting so that I could officially introduce him, since he'll be joining our squad."

Akihiko seemed to be the most shocked about the news. Minako knew that he felt uncomfortable around Ken, but would he still be able to treat him well as a member of the team? Minako worried for Ken-kun's sake.

"Ken-kun …" Minako said with a start. "Are you … okay with this?"

"Actually, I asked to join." Wait, what? "I believe I can be of some assistance …"

Ken …. Wanted to join? What did this have to do with what he said earlier? What was Ken going to do with his abilities as a Persona-user?

Minako was scared. Not of Ken, but for him.

"Ken –kun ….. I'll take care of you."

"Okay … Thank you, Minako-san."

.

Summer vacation has unfortunately ended, and school snuck up on SEES quickly. With school came all the responsibilities that Minako was desperate to break away from. Who cared about library committee, huh? Desperate to leave as quickly as possible, she left after school with Junpei. What they met with at the dorm surprised the both of them.

It was Aigis, wearing the winter version of their school uniform? Innocent cosplay, or an evil scheme to rid Minako of any alone time? Babysitting the robot was no easy work, especially when she clung to Minako specifically.

"She said she wanted to go to school, so I said something to Mitsuru-senpai as a joke. But the Chairman overheard and thought it was a good idea. So as of tomorrow, she'll be a junior." Yukari explained.

"So this …. Is your doing, then?" Minako seethed, trying to refrain from hurting her friend. Yukari, now fearing for her life, backed away slowly.

"It was a joke … how was I to know he would take it seriously? Ha ha …" She laughed nervously. Minako's anger simmered down slowly. She experienced firsthand what happened when you tell a joke to the wrong person. Case in point; training with Akihiko. She left her friend slide for now.

"But man, he's actually down with this?" Junpei and Fuuka had their own conversation on the side.

"The Chairman said something about studying her behavior in a social environment."

"Well as far as I'm concerned it's a great idea …" Junpei gawked at Aigis in the uniform. This guy could make anything perverted.

.

The day of Aigis's high school debut, Minako got a text from Akihiko, asking her to meet him after school. Minako immediately said yes and was excited about their after school date when she realized something. This wasn't a date.

What if it was an extra training session? Minako didn't think she could handle it if it was. Nevertheless, she met up with him at the school gates. Akihiko was there waiting for her, but he seemed to be a little annoyed. Minako couldn't figure out why.

"There you are. There's something I have to do, and I want you to come with me."

Akihiko sounded very serious. This was obviously something important to him. Minako merely smiled at him and said, "Where to?"

When he made a motion to walk, Minako noticed he was carrying a silver suitcase. Where he was he taking her ….?

.

He guided her to Hagakure. If not for his serious demeanor, Minako would've thought they were hanging out as usual. Instead the two waited out of the restaurant, waiting for a certain individual to finish his meal.

A surprised Shinjiro stepped out of Hagakure.

"You're getting on my nerves!" Uh-oh, he was angry with Akihiko for some reason.

"The situation has changed. Sorry, but this time I'm not asking."

"What?"

"This belongs to you." Akihiko said, handing off the suitcase. Minako just then recognized it as the same suitcase she was given that contained her Evoker. So Shinjiro was also a Persona-user?

"We have a new enemy. They're Persona-users too."

"….. Yeah, so what? This has nothing to do with me."

This had nothing to do with Minako either. Why did Akihiko bring her here? To mediate their argument?

"Ken Amada has joined our team."

Surprise flashed on both Shinjiro and Minako's faces. Shinjiro was connected to Ken-kun?

"What?! What the hell are you talking about?!"

"He has the potential and Ikutsuki's okayed it. He's now part of SEES."

"You gotta be kidding me."

Seriously, why did Akihiko bring her here if neither acknowledged her existence? And WHAT DID THIS HAVE TO DO WITH KEN? Minako stood there thinking to herself rather than listening to the conversation when she heard Shinjiro say, "Alright, count me in."

Wait, it was that easy?

He turned to Minako, finally realizing there was another person.

"So you're the one leading the operations now, huh?" He commented, sizing her up. Minako blushed slightly upon his scrutinizing glare. "If you don't mind me asking, what exactly are you fighting for?"

Huh? Nobody ever asked her that before. Minako had never even given it much thought. Minako contemplated on her answer. For now, she was fighting to help her friends. But what as it that kept her fighting? The memory of someone dear to her flashed before her eyes.

"I think …. To protect someone …" She said, but wasn't really convinced herself.

"Is that so …" Shinjiro wasn't convinced either. "Well, you do your thing. I'll do mine."

He then turned to Akihiko. "Psh. Another girl? First Mitsuru, now her?"

Was he trying to piss her off?

"So what? She may be a girl, but she's one hell of a-"

"That ain't my point, numbskull. I'm saying you gottta keep an eye out for her. Honestly…"

Shinjiro …. He certainly seems reliable. But who is he?

.

He approached her in the lounge when she came back from school.

"… Hey. I haven't introduced myself to you, huh? I'm Shinjiro Aragaki."

"It's nice to officially meet you, Aragaki-senpai." Minako said, remembering the time they met at Port Island Station. She still had his handkerchief.

"Oh please, none of that senpai shit. I barely go to school. Just call me Shinjiro."

Taken aback by his informal way of speaking, she tried to follow his orders.

"…. Shin-Shinjiro …. Senpai…" Fail.

"Tch …. Fine. Don't worry. I got your back."

"…Thank you…." Minako said shyly. This guy way was more intimidating than her other senpai, but he showed his kind side to her once before. He had to show it again eventually.

.

The night of the full moon was different this time around.

Junpei was nowhere to be found. Minako searched everywhere for her best friend but he was not found. He knew how important the full moon was. Even Junpei wasn't irresponsible enough to just skip it. Minako was getting worried.

Ken had taken over the search in her place while Fuuka scanned the town with her Persona.

"Tonight marks the sixth full moon." Ikutsuki announced. With this they would be halfway through their goal of stopping the Dark Hour.

"Do you detect a shadow?"

"Yes …It's near Paulownia Mall… I think." Fuuka had trouble narrowing down the Shadow.

"We have enough to go on." Shinjiro said confidently. Ken came running back into the room. Still no Junpei.

"His backpack isn't here so I don't think he's been home yet."

"That idiot!" Yukari showed no mercy. "He knows tonight's the night!"

Though all were worried for their missing friend, they decided to move forward with the operation. Minako and Shinjiro were the last to leave the room. Shinjiro pulled her to the side.

"Did he … say anything to you?"

"No … why are you worried?" It seemed his nice side was coming back. Just as she spoke, however, his frown seemed to intensify.

"Whatever."

.

Minako and her team of Akihiko, Ken and Shinjiro dispatched and headed for Club Escapade. The Shadow there seemed to be entirely made up of wires and spewed out electrical attacks. Minako immediately regretted her choice in Akihiko and Ken, whose own electric attacks seemed to be absorbed. Shinjiro definitely proved his worth, however. He singlehandedly finished off the Hermit when all his allies were down.

After the Hermit was defeated, Fuuka sensed Junpei's presence. He was on the rooftop of the dorm. What was he doing there? They were about to find out.

"Junpei?!"

The group found the teenager bound tightly in rope on the rooftop, with a weird gothic Lolita girl who was his supposed captor. Gothic Lolita? Junpei was talking about a girl like her a while ago. So they knew each other.

Junpei's captor grumbled. "Tch. They're back already?!"

Mitsuru gasped. "She's a Persona-user!" She cried out, noticing the Evoker in the girl's hand.

Junpei lunged out to her, shouting, "Chidori!" which must have been her name. Chidori dropped her Evoker in the process.

"Senapai, get her gun!" Junpei ordered. Akihiko went for it. When Chidori cried out for her Persona, there was nothing.

"Sorry, but we can't let you use this."

"Medea!" Chidori continued to dry as she was restrained by Aigis. Medea must've been her Persona. She was begging for her Evoker back but to no avail.

Chidori was a member of Strega. Junpei revealed to Minako that he was trying to impress her by telling her he was the leader of SEES. That was what hatched Chidori's plan to kidnap Junpei in order to stop SEES from defeating the shadow. Junpei seemed very upset after all was said and done. Minako felt for her friend. He must've fell hard.

.

Akihiko and Mitsuru were at the hospital interrogating Chidori. Even though he wasn't supposed to, Junpei followed with Yukari at his side. That left the dorm eerily quiet after the previous night's events. Though Minako was feeling tired and would've taken the opportunity to sleep, she decided to head down to the lounge. Only, Fuuka, Aigis, Shinjiro and Koromaru were there. Everyone else was at the hospital, besides Ken-kun who was resting in his room.

Deciding to try and get to know him better, Minako reached out to Shinjiro.

"I've been meaning to give this back to you for a while now."

Shinjiro stared at the handkerchief that was handed to him. He recognized it as his own, though he remembered it being a different color. He chose not to think about it.

"You didn't have to give it back."

"I know. I wanted to."

Shinjiro remained silent, barely looking her in the eye. Not used to being around someone this quiet, Minako took the initiative.

"You helped me out when I was scared. I hope you know how much I appreciate it."

The young man pushed his hat forward, covering his face. Was he hiding a blush? Minako sure thought so. She pulled a seat forward and sat down, hoping to talk to her new senpai some more.

"I think Junpei is in love with that Chidori girl …"

"Tch. He's getting soft, huh?"

Minako pouted her lips. "I don't think he is."

"Alright. If you say so." Shinjiro simply shrugged his shoulders. Minako could feel the conversation die down and was thinking of anything else to say.

"What about you, senpai?" He seemed a little surprised by her line of thinking.

"Trust me, girls complicate life."

Minako looked downtrodden. "Oh."

She couldn't help but wonder if Akihiko thought the same.

.

Though Minako had many Social Links throughout the school, she still preferred to think of them as people rather than links, she decided to cultivate the bonds she has with her dormmates. She and Junpei were tight enough already, besides she couldn't get him out of his Chidori funk. She, Fuuka and Yukari were also close enough. She and Mitsuru still had their walls up around each other but Minako had a feeling that the wall would be hard to break down.

Then it came down to Akihiko and Shinjiro. Akihiko had been acting very weird around her as of late. She would try to talk to him but he would dodge any questions she asked and practically ran away from her. Minako decided to consult Shinjiro about him. He was his best friend after all.

"It'd be good if Aki ate here once in a while. That guy isn't getting a balanced intake of nutrients …"

Minako never would've taken Shinjiro for a mothering type.

"Oh yeah, about Aki … in your opinion, how's his fighting?"

"His fighting? It's amazing, but …."

He caught her hesitation.

"But …"

"Akihiko's been acting strange lately …. Have you …noticed?"

Shinjiro took a minute to consider this.

"I haven't noticed anything. Aki's been the same as always with me."

Minako bit her lip. Was it just her, then? Why was he so awkward around her? Did he start hating her?

Trying to calm her down, Shinjiro put a hand on her shoulder. She was shaken out of her self-induced funk.

"Listen to me. If you think Aki's acting strange, then tell him straight up. Don't try and do it through me." He said maybe a bit too brutally.

Minako looked dejected again. "But what if he hates me …?"

Shinjiro suddenly realized the situation between Akihiko and Minako.

'Shit. The idiots like each other.'

"He …. He won't hate you. Just tell him how you feel."

Minako blushed. How she felt wasn't something she wanted to say out loud. Damn Shinjiro caught on quick.

"….. I'll try."

"You better. Now finish your vegetables. That's where all the nutrients are."

"…. Yes Mom."

"What'd you say?!"

.

Before going to bed, Minako felt that familiar presence. She welcomed the young boy as they sat together on her bed.

"It's been a while. Three seasons have passed since we met."

"No kidding? That's a long time." To think when they originally met, Minako thought of his as some kind of escaped prisoner. And now they were having a pleasant conversation in her bedroom in the middle of the night. Things really do change.

"Time flies by so quickly and many things change. And yet there are some things that never change. Don't you think?"

Minako thought about what he had to say. Some things never change. That's what she used to think. But ever since she moved here, she's seen things in a positive. If anything, Minako is the one who has changed the most.

"Everything can change."

"Hmm…. If you say so, perhaps you're right."

When did she become the optimist? Compared to Pharos, though anyone could be an optimist. What with his end of the world talk.

"Talking with you has stirred up certain memories."

Talking with Pharos stirred up some memories for her too. Some she would rather turn off.

"I wonder … will our relationship stay the same?"

Minako looked curiously. "What do you mean?"

He only seemed to ignore her question.

"No matter what the future hold, you and I will be friends."

She smiled, and ruffled his hair. "Of course."

"I'll come again. Until then, my dearest …"

.

The culture festival was just around the corner. Normally, the school would be bustling with activity getting ready, but there was a storm brewing. Minako didn't quite escape the rain on the way back home. She slammed the door behind her, shivering with her hair dripping.

Everyone had beaten her home and was sitting in the lounge together. Their family had certainly grown in the last two months.

"According to the news a typhoon just hit."

"A typhoon?! Say bye bye to the school festival."

Junpei just lounged lazily in his seat while the girls talked about the typhoon. Occasionally he put his own comments into the conversation. "Aw man, well it's a pain to set everything up anyway, but we'll be stuck indoors the whole time …. This sucks!" He then 'skillfully' changed the topic to the short school break.

"….. So how are you gonna spend your break?" He asked Minako.

"… What break?" Minako wasn't aware they had a school break. Didn't they only just come back from summer break?

"What, do you love school of something?!" Junpei seemed outraged. "Most students started looking forward to winter break a month ago."

"… Well jeez, all I did was ask a question. No need to get snippy, Stupei."

He completely ignored her and went on to his next victim: Fuuka. He was talking her ear off about Chidori was finally warming up to him and how she wanted to come visit her during break. Minako was happy for her friend's newfound lovelife. Blows away the theory she had about Junpei and Yukari, though.

Desperate to start a new conversation, Fuuka reached out to Ken, asking what he'd be doing on break. Ken shook his head.

"Nothing in particular… I'll probably go visit the shrine."

"Dude, you're a kid, not an old man." Junpei said turning his attention to Ken.

"But that's where I always go … I guess you could say I made a vow."

Minako couldn't ignore the way both Shinjiro and Akihiko winced when Ken said that. When Ken excused himself to his room, the seniors shared a look. Minako was baffled by the mystery surrounding Shinjiro, Akihiko and Ken. Did they have some kind of history together? She knew Shinjiro and Akihiko did, but where did Ken fit in all this? She was trying to figure this out in secret because it just bugged her so much. Normally she wouldn't butt her nose in people's business, but she was just as involved in this when her teammates were at stake.

She made a motion to follow Ken and speak with him, but the sudden rush of movements made her dizzy. She fell back down in her seat, feeling disoriented. Noticing her strange movements, Fuuka went to feel her forehead.

"Minako-chan, you're burning up! You should go upstairs and sleep right away!"

But Fuuka's words were lost on her, for she had already succumbed to sleep.

.

She opened her eyes to blue. Was this …. The Velvet Room?

"I have been waiting for you."

Following the voice, she turned around to find Igor and Theodore in their usual spots. What did they call her for this time?

"Your special power … have you been using it wisely?"

"My Persona? Of course I have!"

Igor merely smiled his menacing smile.

"Good."

They sat in a silence that was itching away Minako's sanity.

"What did you call me here for?"

"A warning for you."

Her ears perked up. Warning? This couldn't be good.

"Very soon, you will receive a visit from a certain someone. This person, one from your past, can lead you to disaster and despair, or they will lead you to the very answer your friends have been searching for. Do not be alarmed. This person is not your enemy. They are …"

The Velvet Room began to fade. Her dream was ending.

They are what? Who is coming? Someone from her past? But there was no one left …. Was there?

.

Thank you for all reviews, favorites, follows and views. To basecannon who asked how I was going to incorporate Minako into P4 if she was the seal, the answer to that can only be solved as you read.


	6. Shinjiro and Ken

When Minako awoke a full three days later, she was admittedly disoriented and confused. She crawled out of bed, unable to sleep anymore. She dressed and left downstairs for the lounge. When she left her room, however, she was bombarded by a certain robot. She felt a cold metal hand on her forehead.

"Temperature, pulse, and breathing are all normal. Congratulations on surviving your illness."

Still jumbled, not a word left her mouth. Was Aigis seriously going to stick to her like this for the rest of her life? She would probably end up growing old with the robot. And Aigis would outlive her, too. Fantastic.

"Um …. Thanks."

She traveled down to the lounge where she was met with more caring and worried voices.

"How are you feeling, Senpai? You were sleeping for a long time."

"I'm okay for now, Ken-kun. Thank you for worrying."

"N-no thanks necessary!" The boy blushed. Aw, Minako just wanted to hug the adorable elementary student.

"Minako! Welcome back to life!" Junpei practically announced to the world.

"Thanks Junpei. How long was I asleep for?"

"Oh you know … three days."

"THREE DAYS?!"

"We were all worried for you." Yukari chimed in. "You were burning up and just wouldn't wake up. Eventually, our imaginations got the better of us."

Got the better of them? She had a bad feeling about this ….

"We kinda maybe thought … you might … not make it."

"WHAT?!"

"Everyone was insanely worried. The girls were practically in tears. You gotta believe us when we say you wouldn't budge. Shinjiro-senpai made all kinds of foods for you if you did wake up, though. Fuuka and Yukari worked 'round the clock making sure you had everything you needed. Even Mitsuru-senpai called the Kirijo family doctor for you. He just said it was a cold, but everyone freaked out so much they didn't even listen."

This was ….. actually kind of sweet. They worried about her this much?

"Oh and get this Mina-tan. Akihiko-senpai never even left your side. He and Aigis practically camped out in your room."

That certainly got Minako blushing. Even though Akihiko had been avoiding her lately, he still came through in her time of need. He completely avoided her line of vision when she came down, though. Even Shinjiro congratulated her for getting through her cold. Why wouldn't Aki talk to her?

She felt she and Akihiko needed to be more mature before their bond could advance.

.

"….. Look after Aki for me."

Shinjiro had taken her to Naganaki Shrine to speak with her alone. Minako was a little antsy, what with the full moon approaching, and was a little shy to be with her senpai just the two of them. It turned out he wanted to speak with her about Akihiko; the common link between the two.

Something in his voice worried Minako. He was speaking as if he wouldn't be around for much longer.

Was he … planning to leave SEES again?

"Senpai?"

"… You know he's an idiot."

He was still talking about Akihiko.

"He really likes you. And I know that you like him too. So please, take care of him for me." He spoke like a father giving away his only daughter. Or in this case, a son.

"I …" Minako bit her lip. "Of course I will. But you're not going anywhere. You can still be there for him … right?"

Shinjiro coughed painfully. His cough was getting worse. More frequent too.

"…. Yeah. I'm still here. But I ain't worried at all, anymore. I'm leaving the rest to you."

Minako reluctantly nodded her head. She had to admit there was a bit of pressure on her. But she accept her responsibility wholeheartedly. She would take care of Akihiko. The first step was to ask him out. Yes, she had to ask him out on a date. The tables are now turned. Everything was riding on her.

.

She asked him to go with her while she walked Koromaru. It wasn't technically a date, but it was certainly a good ice breaker. The three walked together, side by side. Koromaru was trustworthy to lead the way without a leash, like he usually did when the two walked together. Putting him on a leash would just ruin the trust that they had for each other.

Akihiko and Minako remained silent while Koromaru barked happily. The silence between them was chilling. Both of them were so awkward that they didn't know what to say to each other.

They reached the usual stop for Koromaru: Naganaki Shrine. He wouldn't have it any other way.

"C'mon, Koromaru, go wild!" Akihiko decreed. The dog followed his 'command' and let loose around the shrine playground, leaving the two teens alone.

"You know …" Akihiko started with a nostalgic look on his face. "When I was a kid, I found a stray dog… But we couldn't have any pets at the orphanage."

He paused again, letting Minako absorb what he had to say. She knew that he and Shinjiro grew up together in an orphanage along with Akihiko's little sister, Miki. She never heard the story of what happened to her, though. She had a feeling it was something tragic. Just like what happened to Minako's family.

Minato ….

She shook out of her melancholy thoughts when Akihiko continued. "Ever since Shinji came back, I've been thinking about the past a lot …"

"Yeah …. Ever since I came back to Iwatodai, so have I …."

"I just … I just can't get Miki out of my head."

"My parents' accident … and my brother…."

Both individuals spoke of their own pasts. How similar they were and they didn't even notice. They were too busy wrapped up in their own misery.

"Brother …." Akihiko muttered, focused on that word. It took him a few seconds to absorb new information.

"You have a brother?"

Minako paused. She didn't mean to keep it a secret. It was just too painful to talk about. He was her twin after all. Minako lost more than just her family. She lost her other half. Her beloved brother…

"…. Yeah I …. did." She answered weakly, on the verge of tears just thinking about it. "He was my big brother… my twin."

"… What was his name?"

"His name … was Minato. We were twins … but our personalities were total opposites. Minato was the nice, friendly guy. He always had a smile on his face. And me … well …. He always tried to get me to smile. He used to say my smile was the brightest in world …." Her tears began to subside as she talked about Minato. She had never spoken about her twin since the accident, so she repressed all her emotions. Speaking now was actually kind of cathartic.

Akihiko just brought out this side in her. He made her think about the family she lost, but he was also part of the family she gained. She never thought she could ever have a family again. She was wrong.

"I think your smile is breathtaking."

Minako looked into his eyes. Akihiko looked hesitantly back at her. Slowly, she took two steps to his front, not allowing any breathing room between the two. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face into his chest. If Akihiko was surprised, he certainly didn't show it. He shyly wrapped his own arms around her waist, not sure where to settle them. The last time they were in an embrace like this, they were under a Shadow's control. Not this time.

This was all them.

"Aki…."

She was so close. She just had to say how she felt. How easy it was to talk to him. How her heart beat harder when he was around. How he made her feel like a new person. A shinier, happier person.

And how she knew he felt towards her.

It was all coming together until …

"Woof!"

Poor Koromaru was tired of being ignored.

The trio reluctantly walked back. Koromaru led the way while his human companions avoided eye contact with one another. Their faces matched scarlet red; their thoughts also matched.

'So close.'

.

That Sunday was the night of the full moon.

October 4th.

The lounge was full. Nobody wanted to risk leaving the dorm. Tensions were high; most were nervous for the next Shadow. There were two individuals, however, that were the most edgy. Ken and Shinjiro. Minako couldn't understand why, but they shot panicky glances at one another. Or at least Shinjiro was. Ken just seemed … angry. He hauled himself back into his room and slammed the door. This wasn't some childish angsty cry for attention. No, this was pure, unadulterated anger. Ken was seriously upset and he was shutting everyone out. For the past few days he would do nothing but stay in his room all day. When Minako passed by, she could hear him talking to himself.

"The day's coming. It's now or never."

Was today that day? Ken was definitely planning something, but what? And what was up with Shinjiro?

Minako wouldn't know until later that night that they were both connected.

.

In the dormitory command room, yet again, the group was gathered around Fuuka, who was scanning the area with her Persona. Everyone was watching her, but Shinjiro and Ken were nowhere to be found …

"I've located the target. It's in the plaza in front of Iwatodai Station!"

"Hmm… this will be the tenth." Ikutsuki thought aloud. "Only a few left, but let's worry about them one at a time."

Yukari giggled to herself. "Assuming they come one at a time. Just kidding."

She giggled again. Fuuka cut her off.

"How did you know, Yukari-chan?! I sense two of them!" You just had to jinx it, Yukari.

Akihiko looked around the room, noticing his best friend's absence. "…Where's Shinji?"

"He just notified me that he'll meet up with us later." Fuuka answered. Even though they had made contact with him, Minako couldn't help but feel a chill down her back. Her intuition was trying to tell her something.

"… Figures. He's always playing by his own rules." Akihiko muttered, but he couldn't shake off his own worrying look.

Junpei butted in like he usually did. Leave it to Junpei to try and brighten the mood.

"It's okay. At least he's coming right?"

Minako snorted. "Look who's talking."

"H-hey!" Junpei was starting to look panicked. "Last time wasn't my fault! I was tied up!"

"You're right … your Chidorita is into the kinky stuff, huh?"

"H-Hey!"

Leave it to Junpei to be the comic relief.

"Wait. Ken-kun's not here either. Junpei, go get him." Yukari ordered. "That'll be your punishment for last time."

"Aw man!"

.

Two giant shadows appeared at the roundabout in front of the station. The group approached them cautiously.

"… Where's Amada?" Mitsuru asked. Ken was definitely an asset to have on the team. He was definitely one of the best healers, ranking up to Yukari's level. Minako needed him by her side.

"He wasn't in his room, so who knows…" Junpei said carelessly. Neither Ken nor Shinjiro were anywhere to be seen.

"Dammit Shinji … where are you?" Akihiko muttered. He was obviously just as worried as Minako was.

Unfortuntely their thoughts had to be sidetracked for the moment on hand. The shadows were about to make their move. They had to fight.

.

Strength and Fortune were not an easy duo to be dealt with. They were playing a game of roulette. Literally. It was all up to fate whether or not they dealt damage. Luck was on their side … sometimes. Strength was definitely not on their side but once they were able to dispatch it, Fortune was very easy to take out.

Once their mission was completed, everyone collectively sighed out of relief. The night was almost over and they could finally relax. But not just yet. They still needed to find their missing comrades.

Akihiko remained silent.

"….Akihiko?"

"Today's … October 4th, huh….?!"

"Yeah, so?"

He had a certain look on his face. Minako couldn't exactly place it.

"Just go on without me. I'm gonna go look for Shinji and Ken for a while."

"Senpai…?" Yukari tried to question further, but Akihiko already ran off.

.

When they got back to the dorm, they noticed no one was there. No Shinjiro, no Ken and no Akihiko.

"Why was Akihiko-san acting so weird?" Junpei asked. "What's so special about October 4th?"

"October 4th …" That's when Mitsuru had an epiphany. She gasped. "That's right! I was so caught up in the operation that I didn't realize it earlier…"

"What is it, Senpai?" Minako asked.

"This is the day Amada's mother was killed!"

And it all went downhill from there.

.

Mitsuru had Fuuka search for Shinjiro and Ken. She explained the situation to the second-years; the death of Ken's mother was an accident. An accident caused by Shinjiro's loss of control over his Persona.

All the pieces fell into place. The connection between Shinjiro and Ken, and Akihiko as well.

Minako's intuition was burning, and the knot in her stomach was going to explode.

Something bad was going to happen tonight.

.

They heard a gunshot as they were running to the alleyway. They rushed even faster to find a gruesome scene. Shinjiro was on the ground, blood gushing from shoulder. He was in the middle of Ken and Takaya, the Strega leader, who was playing with the gun in the hands, kicking Shinjiro while he was down. They group wasn't in earshot of what they were saying but they saw Takaya raise his gun again; this time to Ken.

There was no time to stop him. A second gunshot sounded. A thump to the group. Ken stood there, bracing himself for the world of pain that did not come. He opened one eye.

"What …?" He then gasped.

Shinjiro took not one, but two bullets for him. He wheezed on the ground, half curled up in a ball, soaking in a pool of blood.

Minako couldn't take it. She screamed louder than everyone in the group, including Akihiko who had just found them.

"Shinji! Hey! No Shinji, hang in there!" Akihiko ran to one side. Ken was at the other. Minako curled up on the ground. Her uniform was getting soaked in blood, but she didn't care. She sobbed loudly, alerting the rest of the group of the horror that was Shinjiro's condition.

"Senpai!"

"Shinjiro-senpai!"

"No …"

Just like that, the world stopped for a moment. Shinjiro drew a short breath. "Ken …" He called out to the young boy, who couldn't stop his tears from falling. He didn't want this. He was mistaken. He never should've wanted this.

"Heh … why the long face?" Shinjiro spit out weakly. "Isn't this … what you wanted?"

Ken wanted to protest. He wanted to but Shinjiro was right. This was initially what he wanted.

"It's alright … Give yourself time… let your anger be your strength. You're still just a kid …. You've got your whole life ahead of you … don't waste it, okay?"

"But I .. I!" Ken was speechless. He didn't deserve any of this.

"…. Aki… take care of him…"

"…. I will." Akihiko solemnly accepted his dying friends wishes. Slowly, Shinjiro turned to Minako.

"And Minako …. Take care of Aki."

She sobbed even louder. Akihiko grabbed her and locked her into an embrace. He needed it just as much as she did.

"Hey … don't cry …. This is how … it should be …" Shinjiro coughed and wheezed on the ground. Blood was dripping from his mouth. He gasped and then …. And then he wasn't with them anymore.

Ken's excruciating scream rang through the air.

That night, no one spoke a word.

.


	7. Lost Friends And New Relationships

The next day was a school day. Everyone was forced to move on with their lives. A traumatized look remained on Minako's face throughout the day.

In the morning, a school assembly was called in the auditorium. All the students were gathered to say goodbye.

"No words can express the sense of loss we feel as a result of this terrible tragedy."

They didn't even know him.

"He had a lifetime of opportunity ahead of him …."

They didn't know about his nurturing nature.

"As educators, we are to blame for ignoring his silent calls for help."

They didn't know that he watched cooking shows with Koromaru.

"We lost him to violence before we had a chance to help him realize his true potential."

They didn't know about the dinner he made them while he was teaching Fuuka how to cook.

"Forgive us … Forgive us for our negligence."

They didn't know just how forgiving he was.

.

The next night, Minako stayed awake, waiting for that familiar presence.

"Hello."

She really needed to speak with him right now. Speaking to Pharos was like talking with her big brother. He calmed her down and reassured her. She ignored the talk of the coming end. As long as she could remember Minato-nii.

"… It's cold tonight. You seem tired … did something happen?"

"My friend he … he died."

He looked broken. "Is that so…. In this world people die every day. Until recently, this was the same to me as the blowing of the wind. But now I see differently."

"Really?"

"For the first time, I have a friend."

Minako felt her heart burst. Of course Pharos was her friend. Why would she let him break into her room in the middle of the night if he wasn't?

"We are kindred spirits, you and I, so why is it that only I can remember?"

"Remember what?"

"… This is a heartrending matter. Is my existence something you will never be able to accept?"

"No! Of course I accept you!"

"Right. Because you are my dearest…."

.

"What's with all the long faces?" Akihiko addressed the dorm. Everyone was in a funk after what had happened. Ken briefly ran away from the dorm before coming back the next day. He was still admittedly depressed afterwards. They all were. Except for Akihiko.

"Shinji died satisfied. He got out while he was ahead."

"But senpai-" Akihiko cut Minako off.

"Let him rest in peace. We should be focusing on what we need to do now …"

"And what's there?"

"There's less than a week until midterms."

Midterms?! That was what he was focusing on?!

"You …" She started, but then she stopped. This may have sounded heartless coming from Akihiko, but his best friend did die right before his very eyes. She shouldn't provoke him just because she felt he wasn't showing enough emotion.

It did still bother her, however.

"Are you …. really okay after what happened?" Minako reluctantly asked him.

"Shinji died an honorable death. I can't say it didn't hurt, but he protected Ken and that's what matters in the end. I'm not going to cry. It's what he wanted."

"… You're right. It is what he wanted."

.

The days moved by faster than they would've liked. With every day that past, the pan lessened just a bit and they were able to move on bit by bit. An altar was set up for Shinjiro in the lounge. The dormmates would pass by it every day, paying their respects to their friend.

The dorm grew a lot closer with each other as well. Fuuka and Minako officially introduced Sunday night dinners for the entire dorm to eat together as a family, like Shinjiro gathered them together that single time. Minako cooked, not letting Fuuka near the kitchen. The kitchen was a sacred place.

Minako and Koromaru went on their usually walk to the shrine. This time, Ken went with them. He was running as fast as he could to catch up to Koromaru.

"I … I finally… made it …!" He panted. "My legs are still short … can't keep up…"

They let Koromaru run around the playground while Minako and Ken had a serious talk.

"I …." Ken started to speak, but he hesitated. "Um … I wanted to apologize … for making so much trouble, and for worrying everyone …."

Minako knew how hard it was for him to talk about this. She put a hand on his shoulder while they sat on the bench.

"I lost something important … but I gained something at the same time. That's why I think I'll be alright on my own from now on."

"But you're not alone." Minako reminded him. "You have me. And Koro-chan too!"

Ken chuckled. "Thank you for having me along today."

"Woof!"

"Ah, he's back." Ken said, getting up from his seat. "Alright, this time I'm not going to lose. Let's go!"

.

After midterms were over, Ken asked Minako if she would go with him to a certain spot. Knowing what it meant to him, she agreed on the spot.

There were in the back alley where Shinjiro died.

"I'm sorry I was too scared to come here myself …." He looked down, about to cry. Minako took his hand and gripped it tightly.

"I'm with you."

He looked up to her, smiling gently.

"Yes … thank you very much …"

They stood in silence, grieving for their friend together.

"It's … hard to live, isn't it?"

Minako bit her lip. "It is …."

"Living … is painful …"

"It can be. If you make it."

Ken began to sob dryly. She couldn't bring herself to say anything to him, so she enveloped him in a hug and waited for him to calm down.

"It's okay now."

.

Despite what he said about getting over his best friend's death, Minako couldn't help but ask Akihiko again. Was he doing alright?

This time, Akihiko asked her to go somewhere with him. She accepted without a second thought.

They wandered to Naganaki Shrine together, but Akihiko seemed rather quiet.

"Thanks for coming out today …" He said somberly.

"I'm happy to be with you."

"I-I see …" He stuttered, looking confused. Why was he so bewildered that she enjoy spending time with him? "Why are you so …?"

Akihiko was at a loss. So …what? What was he going to say? He looked down at the ground.

"If you don't mind me asking, can I talk to you about something?"

Minako nodded her head vigorously. "Yes, of course."

"I haven't been able to get it all arranged in my head though … I've been thinking about Miki ever since Shinji died…"

That's right …. His sister too. How many loved ones did a person have to lose in a lifetime?

"I've told you a bit about my sister. I … I couldn't save her."

Minako looked down at the ground. She couldn't save her brother, either.

"I was the only person she had, besides Shinji. She'd always tag along after me, and call me 'big bro' all the time … Why …. Why did they have to die? Why did they have to leave me?"

She grabbed his hand. It was the least she could do for him, who looked so lonely in that single moment.

"I've accepted her death … and Shinji's … but I can't do anything about the anger and sadness that I feel… I have to live with that for the rest of my life…"

She tightened her grip.

"Here's what I wanted to tell you … I thought … I wanted you to help me bear my burden. I know it's terrible to ask this of you …. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. I lost my own brother AND Shinjiro just like you did. We both have the same burden to bear."

"I might …. be seeing Miki in you. But if that's not what it is, then these feelings I have …"

He cut himself off.

"Why don't we start heading home?"

They linked their hands together the walk home.

.

They spent some more time together after school. One day, instead of going to Hagakure, they went up to the rooftop of the high school. Akihiko guided her the entire way but didn't say why he brought her here.

"There's no one here … Shame, since the wind is so nice right now."

"Do you come here often?"

"No, not so much lately. Shinji used to come up here when he skipped his classes. He'd fall asleep, so I'd come over after club activities to get him." He laughed nostalgically. Minako smiled too. It was nice to hear stories about the two when they were in school together.

"You can see out into the distance from here … "

"Wow … it kind of hurts my eyes just looking at it. But it looks pretty."

"Yeah …" Akihiko went silent, as if he was contemplating something. He seemed reluctant to speak after a moment of silence.

"The stuff I told you about my sister … you remember right?" She nodded her head slowly, now understanding his silence.

"….. I'm tired of losing what's important. First Miki, then Shinji. At first, I thought it would be better not to let things get too important than to risk losing them. But lately, I don't think so."

Minako cocked her head to the side. "What do you mean?"

He looked her straight in the eye. "I want to avoid that feeling, I have to work to protect what's precious to me. And that means everything precious …" He linked his hands with hers. " … including you."

His eyes glimmered with strength and determination. Minako stopped breathing; her face flushed. She was precious to him. SHE was precious to HIM.

His confidence wavered just a bit. He was going to say it. If he didn't, she would.

They never broke eye contact for even a second. Akihiko was about to speak, mouth open and ready, but nothing came out. A few more seconds and Minako got restless.

"Tell me what you need to say. Please."

"I-I will! I was getting to it!" He overexcited himself without realizing he was shouting at her.

He was nervous. So was she.

"Um … so …! …. It's really strange …."

"… what is?"

"I really liked hanging out together … I used to, anyway."

Used to? Oh no, things weren't looking good for her. It was getting to be too much.

"Do you hate me now?!" Minako blurted out without thinking.

"Wha- No!" He screamed out. He couldn't possibly hate her. It was impossible for him. "Listen to me."

She stopped freaking out and listened.

"When I'm with you, I feel all tense and on edge … if I saw you with Shinji or Junpei, I just got angry. It's the weirdest thing."

Wow.

Shinji was right. They were a bunch of idiots.

Minako stared at him, wide-eyed. If she messed this up, if she read it all wrong, what they had could be ruined forever. But she had to take the plunge. It's now or never.

"You're in love."

Akihiko matched her own astonished face. "L-love…? This is love? I'm … I'm in love."

He took a while to grasp his feelings. "Huh … Oh!"

He suddenly turned red, looking at Minako.

"It already slipped out, but … I'd like to know how you feel…."

Minako watched him with a dopey smile and small tears forming in her eyes. "Well for one, I'm hoping the girl you're in love with ….. is me."

"Of course it's you! There is no one else except for you!"

Her smile intensified. "Good."

"So ….. will you be my girl?" He asked hopefully. Leave it to Aki to say it in the most awkward, yet charming way possible.

There was no other answer. Nothing but …

"Yes!"

The newfound couple shared an embrace. Akihiko was fumbling a little, but Minako found it too adorable that she couldn't resist. She stood on her toes and placed one short kiss on his lips. Their first kiss …. Not including the kisses they shared at Shirakawa Boulevard.

Life was now pure bliss.

.

"Congratulations to the new couple!" Junpei exclaimed, popping celebratory poppers and throwing confetti in the air. Akihiko and Minako walked to the dorm together only to be greeted by … this. Dammit.

They had spoken about taking their relationship slowly and casually, not making it a big deal to the rest of SEES. So why was Junpei treating them like newlyweds?

"I kinda overheard you guys confessing to each other." He admitted to Minako while Akihiko was being bombarded by Yukari and Ken. Yukari was ecstatic about the new couple; Ken, on the other hand, was playing the role of Minako's brother and eyed Akihiko with suspicion. Aigis joined Ken's side as the family of the girlfriend. Uh-oh.

"You what?! What were you doing on the rooftop anyway?"

"I was looking from a prime napping spot. I didn't think I'd stumble on some teen soap opera."

"Shut up, we are not like that."

"Uh yes, you are."

"No we aren't."

"Yes you are."

"No we aren't!"

Their back and forth was interrupted by Mitsuru who wanted to steal Minako away along with a relieved Akihiko. She took the couple upstairs to the second floor, which was cleared of people. Akihiko and Minako glanced at each other nervously.

"Akihiko, Arisato. First I would like to congratulate you two. I admit it wasn't much of a surprise to hear that the two of you would get involved. I just want to make things clear when it comes to SEES that there will be no favoritism from our leader while we are choosing teams. I cannot turn a blind eye to nepotism. Just because Akihiko is your boyfriend now does not mean that you can always be choosing him to explore Tartarus with you. Understand?"

"Y-yes, of course!" Minako assured her senior after her lecture was finished. Oh wait, no it wasn't Mitsuru now addressed Akihiko.

"And Akihiko, you must continue to go by the dorm rules, especially while dating another dorm mate. I will not allow any slumber parties, so to speak. If I catch either one of you in the other's room after hours, there will be punishments."

Akihiko nervously blushed and shouted a "Yes ma'am" in recognition of Mitsuru's rules. He did not want to hear any more restrictions coming from her, however well-meaning they are. The two have been friends for a long time, so they understand each other's own social impairments, like Mitsuru's stiff demeanor or Akihiko's awkwardness around girls. He got that she was coming from a good place.

Minako was just scared.

.

"… Well, tomorrow will be our last operation."

It was November 2nd, the day before the full moon. The group gathered together before the attack to prepare themselves mentally.

"We've been through a lot this past six months." Yukari stated. Minako nodded her head in agreement.

"Six months …. Well, we did our best."

"Yeah … we did what we could."

"It was a lot better than doing nothing, right?" Junpei chimed in. "Besides, we made some new friends."

Junpei was certainly right about that. Thinking back on it, Minako never would've had this kind of family surrounding her if it hadn't been for the Dark Hour. For that, she was thankful for everything that happened. If it hadn't, Minako would probably be alone right now. No friends, no boyfriend, no family.

She really was grateful in the end.

"Well, it's all been worth it, if you ask me." Her boyfriend spoke. "It's been two and a half years since I got this power and you don't hear me complaining."

Minako shook her head. "No. We just hear you training. All day long. Day and night."

"Uh-oh, honeymoon's over already!"

"Shut up Stupei!"

.


	8. Moonlight Bridge and Traitors

This was it.

Fuuka was scanning for the final shadow. The battles and the Dark Hour were almost over.

Where it took them, however, scared the life out of Minako.

Moonlight Bridge.

Where all the pain started so long ago.

.

There were two people waiting for them on the south end of the bridge. Takaya and Jin, if that were their names Minako couldn't think clearly. Her emotions were taking over her mind and controlling her body.

She was getting angry. Why here of all places? Why did she have to step foot here, where her parents died ten years ago? She would've been petrified with fear if it hadn't been for Strega's presence. At least with them around, she had someone to take her anger out on.

"You know the significance of today, do you not?" Strega's leader Takaya spoke casually, as if they weren't about to kill each other minutes later. "You claim you hunt the Shadows to prevent the disaster they bring, yet countless lives are lost each day without their intervention."

Shut up. Just shut up.

"The power we wield is not itself evil …. You cannot deny that. So why not just admit it? You do not wish to eliminate the Dark Hour. You are merely deceiving yourselves."

He talked like some kind of cult leader trying to manipulate the minds of his cronies. It wasn't working.

"Just shut up!" She spewed out angrily, her rage shielding her from his attempted manipulation.

"Tch. You are indeed foolish children … erasing the Dark Hour is the same as erasing yourselves. Is even that beyond your comprehension?"

"Why don't you just shut it?! Why would we ever follow whatever you say?!"

Takaya shook his head. "As I believed, our goals are irreconcilable."

He brought out his pistol. The same one he used on Shinjiro.

That bastard's gonna pay.

.

Takaya and Jin were down for the count. Takaya tried to fight again, raising his Evoker to his head. But wait. What was Jin doing? He stopped Takaya, calling him reckless and brought him to the edge of the bridge, climbing over the railings.

"You win … looks like you'll get your wish …. Go do what you came for.."

They were … jumping?!

"I'd rather die than surrender to you! Take a good look! This is how WE live!"

And then they were gone.

But this was only the beginning. They still had one Shadow left.

.

The last Shadow was definitely the trickiest of them all. In order to reach the Hanged Man shadow, they needed to defeat three statues that the shadow could summon at its whim. The Hanged Man was just that, a Shadow taking on the figure of a man hanging from a ceiling fan. Why were the Shadows so … weird looking?

"….. is it over?" Yukari asked hesitantly once the final wounds were dealt. The shadow disappeared into the darkness, just like all the others.

"Operation complete." Aigis said mechanically. "Or should I say, Mission Complete."

"Yes … it's finally over …" Mitsuru whispered to herself.

"Minako-san." She turned around to see Aigis was speaking to her. "I believe a celebration is in order. What will be our victory cheer?"

Seriously? Victory cheer?

Minako's stomach growled. She had neglected to eat earlier.

"Let's eat."

"1 … 2 … 3 … Let's eat!"

… Minako liked it better this way.

.

It was the morning the next day. Minako slowly woke up to the chirps of the morning birds. She opened her eyes to find a familiar face.

"Good morning."

"… Morning."

Wait Pharos? But he only came to her during the Dark Hour!

"This is the first time we've talked during the daytime. Nice weather, isn't it? This is indeed a new day."

"You seem cheerful. I guess you're a morning person."

"All the fragments of my memory. They've finally come together. I know now who I am, to myself and to you."

"To me?"

"The time has come." He blatantly ignored her. "As difficult as it may be, I must tell you something. I am afraid this good bye."

"What?!" Minako practically jumped from her bed. She was going to lose her friend? Her adorable stalker friend?

"I want you to know … for me, our friendship was a miracle. But miracles don't last forever … if only they did." He mumbled to himself. But Minako heard. She began to cry.

"I can't see you anymore?"

"I will treasure you always. Even if today is the end, the bond that we have will never be severed. Remember that."

She sniffled. "I will."

"It was fun while it lasted. Farewell, my dearest sister."

Si ….. sister? Pharos called her his sister … did that mean-?!

Minako gasped. Her tears fell down her cheeks.

She just said farewell to the spirit of her twin brother. And she didn't even know it.

.

Minako was still a little shell-shocked. Akihiko noticed it on their way back from school and questioned her about it, but how was she supposed to explain that the creepy boy who met her in her room in the middle of the night was really the spirit of her deceased brother? Her boyfriend would think she was crazy!

… Maybe she was.

She was in no mood for a celebration, but Akihiko's presence made it more bearable. She held his hand tightly while they chowed down on sushi. Yukari and Junpei gawked at the fine spread of assorted sushi while the couple was cuddling up together on the couch. While stuffing his own face, Ken looked around for a certain robot.

"Where's Aigis-san? And shouldn't Ikutsuki be here too?"

Akihiko cleared the air. "He took her to the lab for a tune-up or something. He said they'll join us later."

Minako narrowed her eyes suspiciously. Seems like a strange to bring Aigis for a tune-up now of all times. She cast aside her suspicion for now. This tuna was fantastic.

Just then, the group heard a car screech to a halt in front of their door. A few seconds later, a knock sounded on the door. Mitsuru got up to answer it.

"That must be Father."

She opened the door to indeed find her father accompanied by two bodyguards. Mitsuru smiled.

"We've been waiting for you."

"So, it's finally over, huh … Congratulations, everyone. You've done well. There are no words to express my gratitude."

"Thank you." Akihiko shook his hand. Mitsuru's father then faced Yukari, who seemed a little scared. No wait, not scared. She just seemed rattled in the presence of the Kirijos in general.

"To you, I owe a special thanks for lending us your power until the very end." He took her hands and firmly clasped them.

"Oh … it's …" Yukari seemed hesitant. "It's no big deal."

"No longer must you put your lives on the line in battle. The Specialized Extracurriculuar Execution Squad is officially disbanded. Tomorrow, you can triumphantly return to a normal school life."

"Normal, huh ….." Minako thought about it for a minute. There was nothing normal about her school life from the very beginning. What would she be going back to?

"…. Is something the matter?" Takeharu Kirijo addressed the group formerly known as SEES. Everyone seemed kind of down after his announcement.

Akihiko jumped up a little. His hand squeezed Minako's even harder. "Oh, it's nothing …"

Mitsuru, shifting the energy of the room for a change, announced to everyone, "Alright... it's time to celebrate! Your feast awaits you. There's no need to hold back."

"Sweet!" Junpei highfived Mitsuru, who was rather awkward in receiving it. "I've been waiting for you to say it!"

.

Minutes before midnight, the party was still raging. Junpei cleared the air for a second to make an announcement,

"Listen up everyone! Now that we're all stuffed, how bout we take a picture together?"

"Huh?"

"Actually I tried to take one last night … I forgot it wouldn't work during the Dark Hour."

Akihiko looked bewildered. "You brought a camera with you into battle?"

"Well, it was our LAST battle, after all."

For once, everyone like Junpei's idea and gathered together. One of the bodyguards took the picture.

"C'mon, squeeze tight! Everyone come closer to me!" Junpei shouted. Minako rolled her eyes.

"You just want to close to the girls, don't you perv?"

"Aw, Mina-tan, you jealous? You'll always have a special place in my heart."

Akihiko came between the two. "Excuse me?"

"Uh- I mean- Hey Yuka-tan lemme squeeze through."

"Don't let the poor guy keep waiting! Just take the damn picture."

The poor bodyguard did was he was told and snapped the picture … of the group as they were arguing. The picture also captured an unlucky Junpei as he shoved to the side.

"…. I don't think this caught my good side." He whined.

"You have a good side?"

"Mina-tan, you hurt me! We'll take another one with Aigis and Ikutsuki, right?"

Mitsuru gave in. "Yes, yes, we hear you."

The celebration continued in high spirits. That's why when the close struck midnight and everything turned green, all hell broke loose.

"The hell…!?" Junpei freaked.

Ken pointed out the coffins. "The guys in suits … they've transmogrified."

"But … I thought we ended the Dark Hour! Senpai what's going on?!"

"I .. I don't know." For once Mitsuru was utterly speechless.

Only Akihiko remained calm in all this mayhem. "Apparently I was right to have my doubts."

Ken nodded along with him. "Yeah, something didn't feel right."

A bell sounded. A creepy ominous ringing.

Uh-oh.

.

They all ran to the school, well, Tartarus since it didn't disappear. Mitsuru claimed that the bell came from there. Minako hadn't ever seen a bell when they were exploring Tartarus, but she trusted her senior's words anyway. When they approached the entrance, they found two figures standing there.

Aigis and Ikutsuki.

"Ikutsuki-san!"

"Aigis….? Why are you here?" Yukari stared at the robot, who had a lifeless expression on her face.

Something was off. Aigis carried herself differently, as if she was possessed by some demon. Ikutsuki had that same smile on his face, but the words that came out of his mouth gave Minako chills.

"She is here merely to fulfill her role- as a weapon."

Everyone was shocked. Ikutsuki had never spoken to them like that before. Never so heartless.

"Ikutsuki-san, what's this all about?" Junpei asked, still respecting honorifics.

Akihiko backed Junpei up. "You said the Dark Hour and Tartarus would disappear if we defeated the twelve shadows. That's why we fought so hard! But now-"

"What is your intention?" Mitsuru snarled with malice in her voice. She now understand how wrong she had been about the Chairman. "It was all a lie, wasn't it? You knew from the beginning the Dark Hour wouldn't disappear."

"Excellent deduction, Mitsuru."

Great. Now he was spewing out lines like the evil villain in a movie. Which he was.

"Unfortunately your realization has come too late."

"No …"

"… you tricked us?!"

The Chairman smirked. His face twisted, showing off his evil intentions. "I never intended for you to rid the world of the Dark Hour and Tartarus. Quite the opposite, actually."

He was as calm and composed as ever. The bastard,

"What do you mean?" Minako challenged him. "You stupid bastard. What the hell are you talking about ?!"

Her anger was boiling inside her, begging to come out. She gritted her teeth. His betrayal crossed a line inside of her, and now her anger was taking over her body once more, like it did during the supposed final battle.

"The twelve Shadows were part of a whole. They were destined to be reunited. And that was accomplished in no small part, thanks to your efforts."

Minako clenched her fists. He played them and used them as his little puppets, getting them to do all the dirty work for this?! Why?!

"Soon, Death the almighty shall arise and bring forth the Fall…"

"Death?"

"What are you talking about?!"

"The end of all shall come and free this world from despair. The death of everything … but also the beginning."

He's crazy. He had to be. The maniacal grin on his face stretched further. He was part of the same crazy cult Strega started or something. He certainly spoke like them.

"You … Mitsuru, you didn't even realize the reason your grandfather brought about so many Shadows to this very spot. It was in fact to bring about the Fall."

"That can't be …"

"People have filled the world, yet turned it into a void. The only hope for salvation lies in ruin."

"That makes no sense!" Minako screamed out. Her screams were muted by Ikutsuki.

"The Fall will be orchestrated by the Prince. And once the Prince has delivered us all, he shall rule the new world as King! The man who tried it ten years ago failed, but I won't. I shall succeed!"

"You … you think that you're the Prince?! And you'll be King…? How crazy can you get?! We'll crush any 'Prince' that comes our way and stop this mess!" She spoke like a true leader.

"… I have a question for you."

Yukari, who reminded silent for so long, addressed Ikutsuki.

"Yes?"

"In the video from my father… he said to defeat the Shadows … was that a lie, too?!" She yelled out, tears coming down her face.

"… Ah. He did record that himself. Of course, I had to make some modifications."

"You doctored it?!"

"I corrected it."

"You used me … AND my father!" Yukari was enraged. Maybe even more so than Minako.

Ikutsuki was no longer listening. He turned to the ever silent Aigis and commanded her.

"Aigis! The time has come for you to prepare your role. Capture them, and prepare them to be sacrificed!"

What?! No!

"… Understood. Energy output … at maximum."

"Aigis … no! Don't listen to him!" Minako tried to reason with her friend but to no avail. Aigis had taken her battle stance.

"Engaging."

And everything went black.

.

She didn't know where she was. She could see the others from the corner of her eye. Ken as at her left, Mitsuru at her right. She could just barely make out Akihiko. Each and everyone of them were … crucified. Minako tried to move her own limbs. She too, was pinned to the cross. Slowly, everyone began to awaken.

"Dammit .. I can't get these off …. Minako!" Akihiko screamed out in desperation. He couldn't see her in his position. Where was she?!

"Aki! I can't budge either!"

He sighed of relief. She was still with them.

Mitsuru gasped. "Father!"

Right before their very eyes was Aigis restraining a man in a suit. It was Takeharu Kirijo.

"Ikutsuki … what's the meaning of this?!"

"They are to be sacrifices. Harbingers of the Fall. The arrangements are complete; the prophecy shall be fulfilled."

"What?!"

"You son of a bitch! I'm gonna rip your head off!"

"My my, what a commotion. Aigis. Direct your aim at Mr. Kirijo."

No. He wouldn't.

"Aigis! Please! Wait!" Mitsuru cried out desperately, trying to shake free from her bonds. Out of some kind of miracle, the robot hesitated. Ikutsuki grew angrier.

"What are you doing Aigis?!"

"I …."

Aigis began to lower her gun in confusion.

"Fine .. I'll do it!" Ikutsuki took a gun from her belt. "Ten years. I've wasted twn years! I'm not like your father. I won't make any exceptions!"

At that moment, Mr. Kirijo freed himself from Aigis's loosening grip, pulling out a gun of his own. Both fired.

"Father …."

They both fell to the ground.

"Father!"

.

That night Mitsuru lost her father. SEES lost their aim. And Tartarus still remained.

.

"I need to talk to you all. Meet me in the command room when you get home."

That was what the text from Akihiko said the next day. Everyone listened and walked together to the dorm.

Up in the command room, everyone was there except for Aigis and Mitsuru.

"The Chairman's room has been cleared out …" Fuuka said with a solemn look on her face. She was still in shock.

"Well that's no surprising considering what he did."

"But Aigis isn't here, either…"

Aigis. Minako missed the robot. She didn't think she would ever miss the robot in the past considering her clingy nature, but she did.

"What're we gonna do … We have no idea how to get rid of the Dark Hour. We don't even know what we're fighting against!" Yukari lashed out. Perfectly reasonable thinking, all things considered.

"I'll tell you what we're going to do." Minako stood up. There was no more backing out of her role. The time to be a leader was now. "We're gonna keep fighting."

"Fight what?!"

"The Tartarus is still standing. It's filled with Shadows. The least we can do is train." Leave it to Aki to think about training. Nevertheless, Minako agreed with him.

"Remember what the bastard said about the Fall. The Prince delivers the Fall and becomes King. He wasn't the Prince. There has to be someone else and when we find him, we'll stop him AND the Fall!"

"Stop the … Fall?"

"Yeah … we'll stop the Fall!"

Everyone was in agreement. They found their new goal.

.


	9. Minato Arisato

"Hey I got good news! Wanna hear?" An extremely loud mouthed girl practically screamed to her friend outside the school gate. Minako rolled her eyes. She never cared for gossip. Or so she thought as her ears perked up to hear the news.

"I heard the boy who's transferring today is a stud!"

"No way, are you messing with me? Which class?"

"11th grade, Class F."

That was Minako's class. Not that Minako cared about some hot guy. She already had a boyfriend that girls would kill her over if they knew about them. Good thing they kept it secret from school.

Still …. Minako knew how tough it was being the transfer student. Maybe she should lend him a hand.

.

It was time for homeroom, and every girl in the class was excited. Damn, news spread fast. One hot guy and all the girls come running. The transfer student had yet to enter the classroom, however.

"Alright everyone." Ms. Toriumi settled down the classroom. "Today, we have yet another transfer student. This makes our third transfer to this class. That makes it a hat trick."

Seriously. Three transfers to one class. It's as if there's only one class in the entire school.

Nevertheless, the class was unamused. Basically, all the girls were itching to see hot guy's face. What's the matter with these people?

"…."

Ms. Toriumi was expecting laughter. Or at least some kind of reaction.

"…. Please come in and introduce yourself, Mr. Mochizuki."

The boy who stepped into the doorway made almost every girl squeal. And one girl gasped.

"My name is Minato Mochizuki. I would be grateful if you could show me the ropes." He said with a charming smile. More squeals and screams rang through the classroom.

Mr. Minato Mochizuki had longish blue hair that covered half his face. He had a small mole under his left eye and dark brown eyes. He wore the standard uniform, but along with it was a pair of tangled earphones similar to Minako's but in silver dangling on his chest.

Minako stared at him, wide-eyed. She tried to catch her breath but it seemed her breathing was failing her. Who could blame her though, when the spitting image of her deceased brother walked into the classroom?

He even had the same name as him. Minato….

"…. Hello. It's nice to meet you."

He stopped in front of her desk. It seemed he was seated right in front of her and wanted to get to know his seatmates.

"…."

Minako was still starstruck. All she wanted to do was run out the door and empty the conents of her stomach in the nearest bathroom. So she did.

Every student watched as she bolted from her desk out the door. Both Yukari and Junpei called out her name in worry.

"Minako?!"

"Mina-tan!"

She ran blindly down the hallway, not noticing anyone she passed including a confused Akihiko.

"Minako?! What's wrong?!"

But just like the others she was deafened by her own nerves. Akihiko tried to catch up to her, but was shut out by the girl's lavatory door. So he instead ran to the very place she bolted from. Ignoring the fact that class was in session, he addressed Junpei and Yukari.

"What happened to Minako?" He asked with venom in his voice. Everyone had chills going up and down their spine. Yukari and Junpei were speechless. They had no idea what was going on with Minako and the transfer student. Aigis stared down the newest addition to the class with suspicion.

One lone girl with her hair up in a bun boldly stood up, though her stuttering speech gave way to her fear.

"S-senpai? What are you doing here?"

He repeated the question again, even more hostilely. "What. Happened. To. Minako."

That same girl confronted him. She was his biggest fan after all. She had to know what was going on.

"Why do you care about that girl?!"

"Because she's my girlfriend, that's why!" He practically screamed out, soon regretting it as the news caused even bigger of an uproar than the news of a new hot guy.

"Minako snagged Akihiko-senpai?!"

"No… no!"

"That bitch! She knew he was off limits!"

Yeah, that was a dumb move Akihiko.

Meanwhile, in the bathroom, Minako was down puking her guts out and was slowly recovering from the shock of it all. She still couldn't believe it. Was that boy really her brother, or just a lookalike? Minako couldn't deny that he looked like her brother. Or at least what her brother would look like at this age.

Was she overthinking this? Her brother died with their parents. There was no way he could've survived. Right?

Then again, she couldn't exactly remember the incident when it came to her brother. She remembered her parents' deaths vividly, as they were hospitalized for a quite some time after the actual incident. But when it came to her brother, it was like a gaping hole up in her memories. She couldn't remember a thing. All she knew was that his body was never recovered.

Was it really possible? Was this Minato her brother?

She splashed some cold water on her face. Screw the make-up, she wiped it all off. She stared back into the mirror at her sickly face. Thinking about this was making her ill.

She wished she could stay holed up in the bathroom all day, but she had a classroom full of strangers, friends and a potential brother to deal with. Minako left the safety of the bathroom and took slow steps back to Class F. What she was met with when she opened the door were loud screams of hostility all geared towards her and Akihiko. Akihiko? What was he doing in her class?

"You bitch! You're dating Akihiko-senpai?!"

Shit. Oh freaking shit.

Minako couldn't deal with high school drama right now. She had family drama to deal with along with saving the world.

"So? What's it matter to you? Our business is just that. Our own fucking personal business."

Shocked. Surprised. Outraged. Those were good terms to describe the crowd that was forming outside her classroom. Ms. Toriumi was pissed as hell. Minako was going to get it.

.

It was long after school when Minako was let out after her punishment for disrupting the class in the most unusual manner, vulgarity, and violence against another student. All she did was bitchslap someone. And that girl started it too. Her punishment was something similar to Mitsuru's own executions. Minako didn't want to talk about it.

As she left the school gates, there was a tiny crowd waiting for her. Akihiko, Fuuka, Yukari, Junpei and Aigis were all waiting for her. Each and every one of them had worried expressions on their faces. It seemed Minako had some explaining to do.

"Minako. I'm so sorry. I never meant to cause a scene in your classroom or get you into trouble." Akihiko guiltily apologized. "I especially didn't want to blab we were dating in such a public location …. this is all my fault.

"Aki, it's okay. It was going to come out eventually."

"But you got into trouble." His face still screamed guilty.

"That was just me being me. I couldn't control myself."

Junpei stepped in at that moment.

"So before, when you took one look at the new guy and ran out the room. Was that you being you, too?! We were worried sick!" He berated her. When Junpei scolds you for something, you know it's serious business.

"Well, actually …."

.

"So … you're saying the new guy looks exactly like your brother?" Yukari summarized with a questionable look on her face.

"And he even has the same name?" Fuuka added to the summary. Minako nodded, not making eye contact with anybody.

"….We didn't even know you had a brother." Junpei said, looking a bit hurt. He was her best friend after all. She should've told him everything from the start.

"… It's hard to talk about. He …. died so young. Or at least …. I thought he did."

Akihiko was probably the most shocked of them all.

"Wait a minute. You think that this guy … is really him? Your brother?!"

Minako looked like she was about to cry. "I don't know what to think anymore. Everything about him screams my brother, but it should be impossible … and then there's my memories."

"What about your memories?"

"I keep trying to think back to the night I lost my family. Everything about my parents' deaths is clear as day, but when it comes to how my brother died, there's something blocking it. So I kinda thought ….maybe he didn't die."

Tears began rolling down her cheeks. She was beginning to doubt everything she thought she knew and it was just so confusing. Aki began to hold her gently. If she didn't have him, or everybody else, she didn't know what she would do with herself.

"Hey, hey. You don't need to cry. We'll figure this out with you." He whispered gently into her ear, but loud enough that the others heard him as well.

"That's right. I'll buddy up with the new guy and work this out for you." Junpei exclaimed with a smile. Everyone cheered her up, except for an ever silent Aigis who hadn't spoken a word the entire time. Junpei turned to her.

"Ai-chan, you'll help us too, right?"

"Minato is a threat."

Was that what she was getting from the situation? Minako tried to clear it up for the robot.

"No, Aigis, it's okay. He's not really a threat. I'm okay know."

"Minato is dangerous. Stay away from him." She repeated with an unrelenting glare. She was serious about this. Maybe this was just part of her overprotective nature when it came to Minako. Nevertheless, it was a little worrisome to hear that from Aigis.

"What makes you say he's dangerous?"

"I am not sure. But I have a 'bad feeling' about him."

… Maybe she just wanted more attention.

.

Mitsuru finally came back to the dorm, but she locked herself up in her room. Akihiko wouldn't stop worrying about her. If Minako wasn't secure enough with their relationship, she would've been jealous. Not that she had never suspected them of being a little too close before ….like during the trip to Yakushima for example. But still, Mitsuru was grieving and of course Akihiko would care for one of his oldest friends. It was perfectly natural. Natural.

A few days after Minako's public breakdown had passed and she had successfully avoided Minato Mochizuki … until today. She was riding the monorail alone for a change on the way to school, when a voice called out her name.

"Minako-chan?"

Every muscle in her body froze. She recognized the voice. Slowly, Minako turned her body to face Minato Mochizuki.

"G'morning! Man what coincidence we take the same train, huh?"

He sure was chatty. Not to mention overly friendly. Just like her brother.

"Yeah … some coincidence….." She mumbled to herself, avoiding eye contact with him.

"I've wanted to speak with you ever since I came into school."

She blinked, widening her eyes. "Me…?"

Minato chuckled. "Well you and your boyfriend did cause a bit of a commotion on my first day. I found you to be very … interesting."

"Is interesting supposed to be a good thing?"

"Interesting is very good. Believe me."

"Oh … well, thanks … I guess."

The monorail slowly came to a stop. They had reached the station and were just a short two minute walk from school. They got up at the same time and walked out together. Oh no. At this rate they may as well be walking together. Minako had to think of something else to say. She was having a hard time forming words in front of her could-be brother.

"So …. How's school?" She asked lamely. How's school? That's all she could think of?

He just smiled alongside of her with that silly wide grin. Does nothing phase him?

"School is great. Everyone is really nice. Especially some of the girls in our class. They keep asking if I would like to join their study groups and go karaoke with them. They're very welcoming."

"Yeah …. Welcoming. Sure they are."

…

…

…..

An awkward silence fell over them. It was killing her. She had to say something, if only she could think of what to say.

"Minako-chan?"

He beat her to it.

"Y-yes?"

"Do you not like me?"

Wh-what? Where'd he get that from?

She shook her head vigorously. "Of course not. I only just met you."

He still looked a little hesitant. "Are you sure? The way you bolted when you saw me on my first day … it's been worrying me ever since."

He's really been thinking about this since then? Minako had to clear the air.

"Really, it's nothing like that …. The truth is …." Minako began to confess. "you remind me of someone I used to know a long time ago. You even have the same name as him and it kinda … it freaked me out. I'm sorry."

His eyes widened a bit at how open she was being with him. "Oh no, I'm sorry for making you feel uncomfortable. You must not like that person much."

"Actually, I loved him a lot. He was my brother, but he died really young." Why was she being so open with him? It was surprisingly getting easier to talk to him.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

They fell into simple conversation from then on. Talking with him felt so familiar. Like she was speaking to an old friend. Or her brother.

.


	10. The Unfortunate Kyoto Incident

Today was the day. The day of the school trip to Kyoto, that is. Junpei decided that after all of the depressing talk they've been doing that they deserve to have a little fun on their trip, and Minako agreed. When he asked if it was okay if Minato tagged along with them, Minako agreed.

The two had become surprisingly close friends in such a short time, though they didn't have much in common. Minato was very smart, surprising everyone when he beat Minako's latest test scores, where she had been number one since she transferred. He was also very outgoing, making friends with both girls and boys alike, though the girls fancied him the most. Lastly, Minato mastered three different sporting clubs, swimming, track, and kendo. He would've joined boxing with Akihiko but the club was already full. Besides, he didn't seem to like Akihiko too much. Minako couldn't really figure out why.

Though their friendship was oddly mismatched, Junpei and Minato bonded together over whatever it was teenage boys bond over. Girls, probably. So the two were joined at the hip come time for the school trip to Kyoto. Minako was on Aigis duty. The robot was staring at the pond in the courtyard contemplatively.

"Hm … is this one of the open-air hotsprings?" Aigis asked, ready to step in. Minako had to hold her back with all her strength.

"That's just the courtyard! You can't step in, there's fish in there!"

She had to rescue the koi fish from Aigis. This was going to be a long trip. It didn't even seem like she was going to see Akihiko at all, since the classes were separated. How long was this going to go on for?

People began to disperse to find their rooms; few stuck around, Minako included. She walked over to a near vendor to pick out some souvenirs for Ken. After getting some namayatsuhashi, she found her tennis teammate Rio lingering in a corner with a couple of guys. Minako recognized them as her classmates, but didn't really know them too well. Deciding not to mingle with the strangers, she took her souvenirs and went off in search for her room.

She got a little lost on her way. Was her room on the second or third floor? Minako stopped at the second floor first. Let's see now … Ms. Toriumi said her room was the last one at the end of the hallway. She experimentally knocked the door. There was no answer. Slowly, she slid the door open to find a familiar face. It was her senior on the Student Council, Hidetoshi with another senior.

"Hmm, Minako-kun? What are you up to?"

"Ummm …. I was looking for my room actually. I guess this is the boys' floor." She admitted embarrassingly. She never liked to admit her own mistakes in front of Hidetoshi. He was a stickler for rules and perfection, that was for sure.

Hidetoshi laughed. Not at her. Just laughed. He certainly lightened up over the school year. If something like this happened before, he probably would've berated her. His laughter quickly turned serious, however.

"You shouldn't just wander into a boy's room like that, Minako-kun. You never know what may happen to a girl like you."

Minako couldn't help but pick up a tiny compliment in his statement. She smiled bashfully. Not flirty. She was with Akihiko, people.

"Thank you for thinking about me, Senpai. I'll get out of your way then." She turned around and was about to leave the room when Hidetoshi stopped her.

"Wait, let me escort you to your room." How gentlemanly. She accepted his offer, as she didn't get a chance to spend time with her senior outside of school, as opposed to her other friends.

They only walked together for about two minutes, absorbed in idle conversation about the trip, when Minako bumped into another familiar face.

Akihiko had never seen the two out and about together. He didn't even make a connection between the two at first, until he remembered they were both on the student council. But why were they walking together? And what was with the look of adoration on the guy's face?

"Minako."

She looked up from her conversation to see her boyfriend with a strange look in his eye. Minako couldn't place it, as he never looked at her that way before.

"Aki! There you are. I accidentally wandered on the guy's floor by mistake. Can you believe that?" She asked comically, trying to break his glare. But he still had that look. And he was directing it towards Hidetoshi.

"Hidetoshi. What were you two doing together?" He asked harshly.

Was it Minako's imagination or did that sound really jealous? She turned to see Hidetoshi's reaction only to find him with an angry face of his own. This was beginning to feel like a showdown now. Showdown between two Emperors. About what though? Minako? Hidetoshi didn't feel that way towards her. He seemed like the kinda guy who would say something. Right?

"I was escorting Minako-kun to her room. She was lost after all."

Akihiko's glare was unwavering, even as he said his thanks. "I can take it over from here, but thank you."

He let Minako say her goodbyes to Hidetoshi and took her by the hand. As soon as they were away from the second Emperor, Akihiko sighed of relief.

"So we have sight-seeing tomorrow. I'd want to walk around with you but …"

"But it wouldn't be too good if we stood out together, huh?" Minako finished the thought for him.

"This is difficult…"

They continued walking in a comfortable silence. Minako didn't care to bring up Akihiko's hostility towards Hidetoshi; it would only ruin the pleasant mood between the two. Besides, seeing Akihiko jealous was a rarity that turned the tables on them. It was usually Minako jealous of Akihiko's fangirl harem.

They met with a ghostlike Mitsuru, who was far too silent and dazed. She slowly snapped out of it to spew something about the school's itinerary, only to go back into her still position. Once again, Akihiko was overcome with anguish over his close friend's behavior. For now, the best that he could do was guide her to the room the girls shared along with Minako, who didn't miss the pained look on his face.

.

The next day's itinerary was visiting historical sites. The second years went on a tour bus together sightseeing around Kyoto. While visiting the places in person was more exciting than seeing them in pictures, Minako couldn't help but worry for her seniors. Mitsuru was still as dazed as ever, and it was affecting Akihiko more than people thought. She and Yukari separated from the group for a short time. Minako hoped they weren't lost or anything.

Come evening time, however, the girls were back and Mitsuru had brightened up considerably well. Minako even caught sight of a smile. What did Yukari say to her that made so much of a difference in her? The unlikely pair spent much of their time together; both Aigis and Fuuka also noticed.

"I saw Yukari-chan and Mitsuru-senpai talking to each other. It seemed strange for them to be so cheerful together that way …" Fuuka perceived. Minako nodded her head in agreement.

"I know. A few months ago, they were swimming in a pool of awkward tension and now they're BFFs."

"Must be the Kyoto air, huh?" The two laughed with each other. Aigis was busy scanning the area.

"I just saw Yukari-san and Mitsuru-san leave the room together." She announced.

The trio of girls decided to follow them downstairs. On the second floor they met with Akihiko, who seemed to be much more cheerful. He gave his girlfriend a quick peck on the cheek and he made note of Mitsuru's new change.

"It seems like Mitsuru's overcome her pain."

Fuuka nodded her head. "Mm-hm, she's definitely changed. I didn't expect to see it happen so quickly though."

"I don't know what happened, but as long as she's feeling better, I'm relieved."

"She and Yukari-chan were spending a lot of time together. We were just following them out of the room together but we lost sight of them." Minako told Akihiko. If they didn't stop for him, they probably would've caught up to them. Oh well.

"That's too bad. We could've all gone to the hot spring together …" Fuuka looked a bit disappointed.

"We shall go to the hot springs tomorrow." Aigis said almost encouragingly, making Fuuka perk up.

Hot springs, huh?

.

"Wow! This hot spring is huge!" Yukari bellowed out, practically diving into the waters. Minako laughed. She was definitely enjoying herself.

"So this is an outdoor hot spring." Aigis took notice, her mechanical joints visible. Good thing the hot spring was empty, right? "Unfortunately, its therapeutic healing benefits will not help me."

Way to be a kill joy, Aigis.

All the girls were in the water enjoying themselves, when they heard a splash. All of a sudden everyone was on the defensive.

"Who's there?!"

"Yukari? Did you see something?"

"I heard something ….."

Minako's ears perked up to the faintest of whispering. This was getting creepy. And with her wearing nothing but a towel, too….

"I heard it too!"

"…. Fuuka, could you check over there? I-It could be a ghost …." Yukari murmured, reminding Minako of her fear of the supernatural. Like it was really a ghost …right?

"Um … but .. I, uh …. Okay ….." Poor Fuuka was basically forced to do it, thought she was also scared to do it.

"Don't worry Fuuka, we'll team up. You head left, I'll head right." Minako successfully calmed her down. The two girls creeped towards their assigned areas.

"Oh wait! Could there be guests in the bath too?" Yukari reasoned. That was always a possibility, but then why didn't they call out to them? Why hide?

"Is there someone here?!" Minako called out to the depths of the hot springs. There was no answer, only the faintest sound of water splashing.

"…Let's check ahead." Her intuition was tingling. Something was there. She just knew it. Yukari reluctantly followed.

"There! The hollow behind that rock!"

"Ugh … I was avoiding that area for a reason … looks like something could pop out from there….." Yukari whined. And she was usually the brave one between the two. As if she had an epiphany, she gathered her courage together. "…. Wait. Let's check it out."

What they saw shocked and confused them.

They saw someone in the hollow of the rock. Three someones. It was Junpei, Akihiko and Minato! Everyone's faces were a scarlet red. Junpei flailed his arms in the air, trying to come up with a good reason. It wasn't working.

Minako only glared at Akihiko. He tried to defend himself unsuccessfully.

"W-Wait! Th-this is just a misunderstanding, Minako! ….. Minako?"

There was no answer from her.

"Silence!" Mitsuru cut him off. "I'm going to execute you all!"

Whatever it was Mitsuru did them was far worse than anyone could possibly imagine. Which is why the author won't even make an attempt to describe it.

.

"Wow, namayatsuhashi! It's even got red beans in it! Awesome, thank you for the souvenir!" Ken loved his souvenir, giving Minako a huge hug when they got back. He and Koromaru seemed a little lonely after having the dorm to themselves. She was glad the souvenir cheered him up.

"By the way …" Ken continued, capturing Minako's attention. "I noticed the rest of the girls seem to be holding the guys in contempt. But I can't imagine why …."

Ah, Ken and his sweet little innocent mind. He wouldn't have pulled something like that, Minako was sure of that.

She patted his head reassuringly. "They made a mistake. A really stupid, horrible mistake."

Minako tried to make her way upstairs but was stopped by Akihiko. Minako could've taken a page from Aigis' book and commenced ignoring mode, but truth be told she had already forgiven him. Not knowing this, Akihiko made his case.

"The prime offenders were Junpei and Minato. I was just an innocent victim, you have to know that. You, of all people, have to believe me."

"Of course I believe you."

"And another thing, I- wait, what?" He asked, relieved and yet absolutely dumbfounded.

"I believe you." Minako repeated with a firm guarantee.

Akihiko was speechless; the couple just stared at each other, even more in love than they were the day before. It was making Junpei sick.

"Just kiss already!"

Akihiko winced in hypothetical pain as he took Minako up the staircase, giving themselves some privacy. Once they reached the top of the stairs, that's when he hesitated.

"Do you- I mean, would you like to … come into my room?"

.

His room smelled like sweat, which was not exactly an appealing smell on most people, but on Akihiko it was a perfect fit. Every little thing lying around had something to do with training; his boxing gloves were lying on a tiny table next to his protein powder and there was a rather large punching bag in the corner. His room screamed "Akihiko Sanada is living here!"

It was perfect.

"Sorry there's nowhere to sit …. Do you want a cushion or … Oh Do you want something to drink?" He asked, mostly out of nerves for actually having a girl in his room.

Minako sat down on his bed rather daringly, patting the spot next to her. "Just sit here, Aki."

He blushed at her bold move. "Y-Yyeah, I guess I should."

He plopped down next to her, not leaving any distance between them. He was getting more courageous, too. His arms automatically curled around her waist and he pulled her onto his lap.

"… Is this better?"

Now Minako was getting flustered. Trying to up the ante, she wrapped her own arms around his neck, resting her head on his chest.

"This is perfect."

They pulled each other even closer, if that was possible.

"I love you." He whispered into her ear. If this was any other person, at any other time, Minako probably would've flipped. She would have freaked out at the possibility of another human being loving her and would never be able to reciprocate. Not this time, however. And not with this man.

"I love you, too."

Akihiko and Minako spent a long time together that night.

.

If I had the ability to write smut, I totally would've continued this chapter. Just saying.


	11. Junpei's Loss

The alarm sounded in the middle of the night. That was never a good sign. Minako abruptly awoke, shooting out of the bed that was not actually hers, untangling herself from arms that were someone else's. Akihiko was more slow to wake up on his part surprisingly, as he found himself much more comfortable with a warm body at his side.

"Sorry to wake you! Um, I'm not sure how to say this but …." Fuuka's echoing voice was hesitant. Minako wanted to kill her just for waking them up, but that's not what good friends do. Instead, she scrambled around the room for her clothes.

"Please go to the 4th floor …and hurry!"

.

That night was probably the worst night of Junpei's life. He lost the woman he loved and there was not much Minako could do for her friend. Maybe take down the man who killed her, which was what they all were going to do. That man aimed his gun at her best friend, after all. If it wasn't for Chidori's brave sacrifice, Junpei wouldn't be in this world anymore. And Minako wouldn't be anywhere without him in her world.

She was just afraid there was nothing she could do to help him.

.

"I'm sorry to call you out here all of sudden. Was I in the way of anything?" Minato asked Minako from across the café table. Minato asked Minako … asked Minato asked Minako. That's some tongue twister. Gets even the author confused.

Currently the two were inside Chagall Café inside Paulownia Mall. Minato asked her out alone and though she would usually avoid such awkward encounters, she sensed something was bothering him.

She put on a tiny smile to relieve him of his worries. "I wasn't doing anything. So what did you want to talk about?"

"It's about Junpei."

Her smile fell. "Oh."

"We were in the same group for Career Experience, but he didn't show up in the beginning. He only came for one of the days because the teacher forced him to, but something seemed off about him …. I'd talk to him, but he didn't seem like he was listening …. He seemed about ready to cry …. Did something happen to him?"

Minako looked down at the table, nodding her head. "I'm afraid so. He … he lost someone he loved very much."

Minato fell silent. He didn't wear his usual smile, and he barely made any eye contact at all. It took him a minute to absorb the new information.

"…. I see."

The silence continued awkwardly.

"People … die."

Minako picked up her head. Ensuing philosophical speech now.

"I thinks that's just something people need to accept … I'm sorry was that too cold?"

She shook her head. There wasn't much she could say now. Death wasn't exactly an easy subject for her to handle.

"Junpei-kun is someone we both care about. That's why I'm worried. I've never seen him like this before. I just wish there was something I could do to help."

Minako felt like she understood Minato a little better. He truly cared about Junpei, a friend he had only known for a month. He was kind and understanding. He truly was her brother reincarnated. Or something to that effect.

Minako smiled at his kind words and took ahold of his hand that was sitting on the table. That familiar warmth overcame her.

"Just being his friend is enough for now."

.

Junpei got ahold of Chidori's sketchbook. To his surprise, it was filled with nothing but portraits of himself. He took a moment to himself, letting out the tears that he was bottling before.

"Hey … Minako." Junpei addressed her for the first time in a while. He led her to a quiet part of the lounge away from the others.

"What is it, Junpei?"

"….. I promised to fight to get rid of the Dark Hour. We all did. I'm usually just looking out for myself, so it was hard for me sometimes t accept that you're the leader…"

Minako let out a sigh. So this was what was bothering him so long ago when he first started to shut her out.

"….. I'm sorry. I want you to know… I'm putting my faith into your skills." He said with a ghost of a smile. He was starting to look to the old Junpei. Here's hoping he'd be up and running soon.

She enveloped him in a hug, which he greatly accepted.

"I'm counting on you, too."

"Let's keep rocking on together … Leader."

.

A few days later, Akihiko and Minako came to find an unexpected visitor as they arrived late that evening from a date. There was Minato sitting on the couch next to Junpei, surrounded by everyone, not including Aigis.

"Oh, you two are back!" Fuuka got up to greet them. "Too bad you couldn't come earlier. Minato was just leaving."

Minato got up from his seat and approached the two.

"Minako-chan! And Akihiko-san! Welcome back. It's a shame I don't have time to speak with you two. I hope your date was enjoyable!" He said with a wink, embarrassing the both of them. "I was actually hoping to see Minako-chan here, but that's okay. I'll come by again sometime."

"See ya later, Minato!" Junpei yelled from his seat, watching his friend leave. At the same time, Aigis came from upstairs. She watched the door close before approaching the group in the lounge.

"…. Was that Minato?"

"Yeah, you just missed him. He said he was going home." Yukari told the robotic maiden.

"What was he doing here?"

"He's been coming here a lot, ever since he started hanging out with Junpei."

If anything, he was part of the reason why Junpei recovered so quickly after Chidori's death. But Minako knew better than to say this aloud.

But Aigis was unrelenting. "But visitors are not allowed …."

"Mitsuru-senpai said it was okay during the day." Junpei butted into the conversation. Fuuka also added in.

"I don't think we need to worry about Minato-kun."

"…."

Aigis remained silent for a full minute. Minako thought she was tired of fighting, until she muttered something under her breath.

"Minato …. Is … dangerous."

"Minato-kun? Really?" Minako asked her skeptically. Was about her freak out when she first met him? Aigis can be really overprotective over everything.

"Well, he DID hit on Mitsuru-senpai the first time they met." Yukari noted with a look of disdain. Minako looked a bit shocked.

"Wait, really? How come no one told me?"

"You were probably all lovey-dovey with Senpai." Junpei hypothesized. "We're used to the broodintg, sarcastic Mina-tan. Not the happy love-love one."

"Hey, I resent that!"

The subject was quickly lost, and Minako pretty much forgot what they were talking about. She couldn't help but notice a pained expression of Aigis' face, however.

.

Super short chapter today. I could've gone into depth with the scenes about Chidori, but the story's not about her and I couldn't think of anything to put about Aki and Minako so this happened.

Thank you for all reviews, favorites, follows and views.

To the person who asked about Minato, yes he is the male protagonist, just in Ryoji's place.


	12. The Truth

"Aigis?"

"….."

No answer.

"Aigis…"

Again no answer.

Minako stood in point-blank range, just two steps away from the robot. How could she not see her? This was worrisome. She just had to try calling out to her again, a bit louder this time.

"Aigis!"

"….." Finally, she looked up from the ground. "Oh, I'm sorry…"

"Is … is something the matter, Aigis?"

"What's …. Wrong with me?" She asked herself with an alarmed tone in her voice. It seemed she didn't even understand her own feelings. "I didn't even notice you were there, Minako…."

"That's okay, Aigis …"

"…."

And she went silent again.

Something was bothering Aigis badly. And it started ever since Minato transferred. Was she really that threatened by his presence? Minako had to admit she did focus more attention on him than Aigis. Was she …jealous, perhaps? That could be the case. The mechanical maiden yearned for nothing more than to protect Minako from whatever she deemed a threat. Now that Minato was in the picture, threatening her spot, she had to be at least a little jealous. Could robots even feel jealousy? Maybe Aigis was special.

"Minako?" Akihiko called out to her.

"…."

"Minako!"

She was shocked out of her thoughts. Oh great, now she was doing it.

"What were you thinking about? You were late for our date."

"Sorry …. I was just thinking about Aigis. I think something's wrong with her. She seems … I dunno, depressed?"

"About what?"

"That's the thing. I thought she was just jealous that I've been spending more time with Minato than her but she seems more threatened by him than anything else. What do you think, Aki?"

"….." He took some time to really think about it. His answer, however, was not one Minako would like.

"…. You have been spending a lot of time with him." Akihiko spoke softly, with a hint of jealousy in his voice.

"Oh come on. Now you're jealous, too? I told you, he reminds me of my brother."

"Yeah, but what does he feel about you?"

"What?" She seemed a bit surprised by his follow-up question. "You think he has feelings for me?" She asked, a bit disgusted. It felt like incest to her just talking about it.

"It's always possible…."

"Trust me on this, it's not."

"But what if-" Minako cut him off by pressing her lips against his for the briefest second. She curled her arms around his neck, standing on her tiptoes.

"Trust me."

He hesitated again for the briefest second before giving in and holding her tightly against his body.

"Okay."

.

"Good morning."

Aigis greeted Minako at the front gate. She had this strange look on face; a look of determination mixed with anger. Who was she angry with? Hopefully not Minako.

"…. I intend to do my best to protect everyone."

Protect everyone? What did they need protecting from?

"Aigis … is something wrong?"

She looked down at the ground as she spoke. "No, please do not worry. I just wanted to share my feelings."

"Okay …"

Probably the strangest Aigis interaction to date.

.

Minako had a bad feeling that day and it had everything to do with Aigis. She flew out of the classroom when school was over, as did Minato. There was something going on with them, Minako just knew it.

It didn't help that the full moon was that night, either. Even without a shadow to fight, something bad always happened on a full moon.

She went straight to the dorm, avoiding everyone. Following her usual full moon schedule, she decided to rest to preserve her energy, though there was no supposed battle.

That night, Fuuka summoned her Persona to find Aigis. Something was wrong.

"I sensed a Persona, but it quickly disappeared. As soon as that happened, I couldn't detect Aigis' presence."

"Could it have been Strega?" Yukari asked, having gathered everyone to the command room.

"She hasn't sensed any of their members, but we can't be positive." Mitsuru noted.

They allowed Fuuka a brief moment of silence to continue scanning. Finally, Fuuka found her.

"She's on the Moonlight Bridge!"

Mitsuru took charge of the situation. "Alright everyone, let's move out!"

But Minako would not budge. "Moon…light Bridge….."

"Minako? What's wrong?" Akihiko hurried to her side at the slightest sign of distress.

"I …" She shook her head. She went to the Moonlight Bridge for their last Shadow battle. What made this time any different? She could do this. "I can do this."

"Okay, team. Let's go!"

.

They rushed to the Moonlight Bridge, with Minako at the head of the pack. She had to lead them, so she couldn't fall behind, no matter how much pain she felt just from being here. The sight they saw, however, only triggered her tears.

"Aigis!"

Her body was heavily damaged. Parts were strewn everywhere. But all Minako saw was blood. Besides the dripping blood due to the Dark Hour, Minako saw the blood of her family. This was where they died, after all. It hurt just to stand there.

But there was no time to think of her past. Her friend was in danger.

"I'm …sorry …. I…" She spoke weakly, her eyes blank. Despite that, Minako knew she was looking her way. "I remember everything. Who I am …. Who he is….."

She stretched out her worn hand towards Minako, who took it gently within her own hands.

"Minako-san …. I know why I wanted to be by your side … I'm sorry … I failed…."

"There's no need for you to apologize." A familiar, yet unexpected voice rang out from behind them.

"You …?!"

"Minato-kun?!"

It was indeed him. He was dressed in his school uniform as usual, but he seemed so different in this one instance. His face was not smiling like he usually did. He seemed guilty instead. Almost as if ….

"It's all my fault….."

Akihiko stood between Minato and Minako with an angry look in his eye. "You did this?!"

"Akihiko, wait! He's not showing any sign of aggression." Mitsuru, ever the reasonable one even in the face of disaster, stopped him. "Tell us. Who are you? WHAT are you?"

"I ….. I was Minato Arisato."

Everyone's eyes widened. Arisato …. They recognized that name. Minako more so than the others.

"I was Minako's older brother."

She was right. She was right. But was this something to be happy about?

"Big bro …." She murmured, tears forming in her eyes.

"….. you have a brother?!" Junpei exclaimed, earning himself a slap on the back of his head by Yukari.

"Don't ruin the moment!" She angrily whispered in his ear.

"Dammit all that hurt!"

"Shut up!"

But Minako didn't care to listen to their exchange. She never lost sight of the boy now claiming to be her brother. His blue hair that was just like her mother's. His ever persistent smile. How friendly and warm he always was. There was no doubt in her mind.

This was her brother.

"Big bro!" She screamed out, running into his open arms.

They had finally been reunited with each other. Ten years of agony without him in her life just melted away. Little did Minako know that a new agony would take its place.

"Minako! Get away from him!"

But she wouldn't listen. Her brother felt so warm and inviting. It felt so right.

"Just look at what he did to Aigis!"

She did look. She saw Aigis cuddled into Junpei's arms, breaking down before their very eyes. The pieces of her strewn about. She turned back to her brother.

"….did you do this?"

Minato broke eye contact.

"… Yes."

She broke free of their embrace. He hurt her friend. Why? Her brother would never do such a thing.

Minato sensed her confusion and decided it was best to explain.

"Let me tell you all a story. This is the story of the battle between the Appriser and the last Anti-Shadow weapon."

"The … Appriser?"

"Yes. The Appriser is the king of all Shadows, made up of the first twelve arcana of Shadows."

Mitsuru thought tentatively. "Twelve arcana … Do you mean the Shadows we defeated during the full moon?"

Minato nodded his head. "Yes. When the twelve shadows were defeated, The Appriser became whole again. That is why I am here today. But I'm getting ahead of myself."

"You mentioned the last Anti-Shadow weapon … you meant Aigis…. Didn't you?"

He nodded his head again.

"Aigis and the Appriser battled it out ten years ago on this very spot. Aigis fell to the Appriser … as did the Appriser to she. But Aigis needed to defeat him no matter what. In an act of desperation, she attempted to seal him within the body of a child that was standing nearby. That was me."

"She ….. sealed the Appriser within you?"

He shook his head. Minako was so confused by this. All she knew was that ten years ago, on this very spot her family was forever torn apart. And Aigis had a part in it as well?

"No. It didn't work. Instead, the weakened Appriser latched himself onto me, merging with my own soul. He became me and I him."

"You mean … you are…"

"I am the Appriser. King of all Shadows. Here to facilitate the rebirth of the maternal being."

"Maternal being …?"

"She is a great and powerful entity. There is no name for her in this world's language."

Minako hesitated. She wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer to her questions. "I'm so confused… you say you returned to life when the full moon shadows were killed…. But how? Where were you all this time?"

"Inside your soul."

The group fell silent out of shock. Minato continued.

"Though the Appriser latched himself onto me, he was still weak and needed time. So he took hold of you as well." He took a single step towards his beloved sister. "Don't you see? I've been with you this entire timer."

"Big brother…."

"But there's …more…" His speech grew weaker as did his body. Slowly, he succumbed to the wounds Aigis dealt him earlier and he fell into a state of unconsciousness. Minako attempted to run to his side, but was stopped by Akihiko.

"He's the enemy."

Tears began forming in her eyes.

"He's my brother."

.


	13. Breakdown

Everything was quiet.

No one spoke a word to each other. They sat in the 4th floor command room, SEES on one side and Minato on the other. There were some hostile glares pointed towards Minato. More worrying glances going Minako's way, who remained unnaturally still and quiet.

Finally, it was time for Minato to tell his tale.

"The maternal being is called Nyx."

Junpei furrowed his brow. "Who the hell's Nyx?!" He asked angrily. It seems he felt betrayed by his friend and harbored some resentment. That and Minato almost destroyed Aigis. It was hard for Minato to gain back his trust.

"Nyx is the mother of Shadows. She has bestowed 'Death' onto this world." Minato replied in a hollow voice, as if it was not truly Minato speaking. Maybe it was the side of him that was the Appriser. "If she is awakened, darkness will once again cover this land and all life will vanish."

Akihiko jumped from his seat, startling the previously motionless Minako beside him. "All life will vanish?!"

"It would be more accurate to say… everyone will forfeit the will to live."

Minako's eyes widened. They would forfeit the will to live ….! Just like the Lost! Everyone seemed to come to the same conclusion. Every human on earth would become the Lost. Lead the world to the extinction of mankind. And the end of the world.

"….When…. When will that happen?"

"You will not live to see spring." He said with that same hollow voice.

"…"

"…."

"….."

Junpei stood, fed up with the morbid air surrounding everyone. "Wh-what're you guys freaking out over? All we have to do is defeat this Nyx! And that won't be a problem 'cause we never lost!" He spoke, trying to remain upbeat and positive.

Minako broke her silence only to put a damper on Junpei's motivational speech.

"Is that even possible?"

Minato shook his head. "Defeating Nyx….is impossible. It has nothing to do with strength, ability or power. Just as all living things die …and the flow of time is continuous… Nyx cannot be defeated."

"Th-that's bullshit!" Junpei tried to fight it, but he couldn't help but bring himself down. Minato looked on as everyone in the room contemplated their soon end. His twin sister was among them.

Minato knew what he needed to do.

"I'm going to give you a choice."

Minako looked up, hers eyes a little bit clearer from the tears that were about to form.

"A choice?"

He nodded. "It may be impossible to fight off the coming end ….but I can give you a life of peace until then."

"H-how?" Junpei asked, eyes widened at the thought of a peaceful life once again. But the cost of a peaceful life may not be one he was willing to make.

"You'll have to kill me."

Minako stood abruptly, eyes gleaming in tears. "No! I could never kill you!"

Her brother remained unfazed. "You must. When you kill me, all memories of the Dark Hour will disappear. When the world faces its impending doom, it will be instantaneous. You will not suffer."

"We'll…. Forget everything?" Mitsuru had an odd glint in her eyes, as if she was tempted.

"Yes. You'll be able to live normal lives. If you don't kill me, you'll only suffer. With no hope for salvation, you will be paralyzed with fear of your impending deaths. And I… don't want you to have to endure such pain, sister." He spoke more clearly towards the end. The part of him that was Minato was beginning to come out. And all he wanted was for his sister to live the rest of her life without worry.

"I…." Tears continued to spill uncontrollably. "I don't want to kill you… big bro."

Showing more emotion, Minato called out to her. "All that awaits you now is despair. You don't know the terror of absolute death! ….Please don't make your decision without thinking about it first."

And with that, he simply got up from his seat and left the room, telling them that he would return on New Years Eve to receive their decision.

Minako's sobs echoed throughout the room.

.

For the rest of the week, she remained in a catatonic state. She would not eat. She would not speak. She hid in her room, away from everyone.

Finally, Akihiko had enough.

"Minako!" He banged on her door, yelling out her name. It was the middle of the day and everyone else was at school, but Akihiko snuck out during lunchtime to check up on Minako. She had yet to arise from the comfort of her bedroom. He called out to her again.

"Minako! Let me in!"

There was some shuffling sounds on the offer side of the door and the sound of the door knob clicking. She unlocked the door for him. He barged in without waiting to find a sorry sight.

She was dressed in the same clothes she had been in when her brother delivered the news. Her hair was disheveled, freed from her ponytail. Mascara lines dried on her cheeks. She was a hot mess.

He grabbed her hand forcefully and pulled her out of the bedroom. She made not a peep. He guided her to the girls bathroom. Akihiko did not hesitate from entering the bathroom as they were all alone. Letting go of her hand, he made way to start the water for the shower. While waiting for the water to get warm, he faced Minako. With no words, he untied her ribbon, took off her jacket and started to unbutton her blouse. Letting everything fall to the floor, she stood there completely bare but had yet to move. He pulled her into the shower, and since she made no motion to clean herself off, he walked into the shower himself, clothes and all.

"We are going to get through this." He said, grabbing the shampoo and rubbing it into her hair until it created suds. "We are going to walk out this bathroom a new person. We are going to eat, we are going to school, and we are going to get through this together. You hear me?"

She said nothing. She allowed him to rinse out her hair. He grabbed the body wash and loofah and washed her body. Not sensually. Just lovingly.

"Please. Just answer me."

Finally she did. She began to break down. Sobs erupted from her body yet again.

"I'm so scared, Aki." She choked out. Minako spun around and clung to him, clutching his wet shirt. Dropping the loofah, he wrapped his arms around her and tightened his grip. He didn't want to lose her. He wanted to live with her at his side.

Life was so cruel to them.

"I'm scared too. But we are going through this together, whether you like it or not."

"…I love you Aki."

"I love you too."

.

For going so long without an update, I give you this.


	14. Christmas and A Choice

The days passed gradually, the weight of their decision slowing the pass of time.

The day was Christmas Eve. One week until their decision. But this was not a day to stress over it. For this night only, two lovers forgot their worries and spent the evening together.

"I-I… I have a present for you."

Akihiko presented her with a white box with the red ribbon on top. Smiling widely, she took the box, weighing it. It was heavy. Looking back at him as if to get his permission, she slowly removed the lid of the box to reveal a tiny little music box. Her eyes widened at the sight. She took it out of the box and slowly opened it, allowing the classical music to play. 'Clair de Lune'.

It was perfect.

"It's so beautiful…. You really got this for me?"

He nodded. "It's yours. You can store jewelry in it…. I wanna make you a promise."

"What promise would that be?"

"Every Christmas, I will buy you something to store here. I want to fill with jewelry just for you."

Minako smiled bashfully, remembering she had a gift for him as well.

"I made you something but… I'm not sure you'll like it."

"If you made it, what's not to like?" He said it effortlessly, making her blush.

She presented him with a stuffed rabbit cellphone strap. He took it in his hand, dangled it around, and basically inspecting it.

"Ah-um … isn't this a bit too cute for me? Ah, but you made it, so it's precious."

She blushed even harder, if that was possible. "I made it based off the bunny you gave me. The one that was Miki's…"

"It's perfect. I'll keep it with me always."

.

Minako spent the night in Akihiko's bed, as she had been doing so for most of December. Mitsuru had decided to turn a blind eye on the lovers' late night activities, given the extenuating circumstances.

They simply lied there, curled up together in pure bliss. It wasn't until the high of their actions wore off that Akihiko and Minako thought the same recurring thought.

They could die soon.

Or they could stay together forever.

They simply needed to act.

Akihiko's mind was already made up. He was willing to fight. He would never stop fighting for those he loved most. Shinji and Miki believed in him ….and now he was going to protect Minako.

He wanted to live.

Minako was scared. She was incapable of killing her own brother. There was no way she could stand to lose him again. But defeating Nyx was supposedly impossible. They could live normal lives until the Fall….

But would choosing the ignorant path really make them happy?

She also wanted to live. But what kind of life would it be?

.

It was time.

Aigis came back the day before, begging Minako to kill him and start a new life. Aigis begged Minako for her forgiveness. Minako accepted. By then, everyone's minds were made up except for hers.

Her friends were willing to fight or die trying.

Minako still did not make her decision when Minato arrived. Despite the circumstances, Minato seemed oddly calm.

"Long time no see." He said with an odd smile on his face. Just as quickly as it appeared, it disappeared from his face. "Midnight is around the corner … once the clock strikes I will change from this form into something unrecognizable….. have you reached to a decision?"

Everyone was silent.

"…. I'll be waiting in Minako's room. Until then, sister." He began to walk up the stairs.

"…. Minato-kun…." Fuuka whispered underneath her breath.

"Oh, one more thing." He stopped in his tracks and turned back to face them. "If it's killing me that makes you on the fence, then don't worry about that. I will disappear either way."

"You… you'll disappear?" Minako asked, not wanting to hear those words. She would lose her brother either way?

"I won't feel any pain by dying. You don't have to worry bout me." He smiled again. "I'll be waiting."

Then he left them.

….

"Minako…" Akihiko held her hand tightly. It was an unbearable burden, but as his sister, it was all riding on her decision. Minako's grip loosened from his hand as she pulled away from him. She was following her brother upstairs.

She had made her decision.

.

"I can't kill you, big bro."

.

Right before her eyes, he had become a monster. No longer was he Minato Arisato. No longer was he her brother.

He was the Appriser. Bringer of Nyx.

And on January 31, 2010 they would meet once again.

This time, in battle.

.

Now that I'm getting to end of the P3 plot, I really wanna wrap this up so I can move on to P4. That's where the real fun begins. So the next chapter will be pretty jumpy, but it will be the last of the P3 side. Don't worry though, there's plenty more after this.


	15. P3 End!

*Major time skip from New Year's Eve to just after defeating Nyx.

.

"…. Did we do it?"

Hesitation was in the air. Everything stopped for a moment.

They fought the impossible. They won.

And yet it wasn't truly over. The supposed corpse of the Nyx Avatar slowly got up from the ground. He was still alive. Every member of SEES gasped in shock as the Nyx Avatar began to ascend to the sky.

"Such a pity... You understand fate, yet you still fight against it with all your will... If more people were like you, then perhaps the Fall could have been prevented..."

"No….!" Minako cried out. Did they fail? But they were so close.

"...but it's too late now."

He raised his weapon over his head, pointed up into the air. It aligned directly with the full moon, which grew closer and closer to the tower of demise. The moon began to crack open.

"Wh-what? The moon…!"

A strong beam of light blinded the group. The light, coming from the Nyx Avatar , connected him with the moon as it descended upon them.

Akihiko began to connect the dots. "Wait a second …..is the moon itself Nyx?!"

Minako gasped. The moon grew closer and closer. At this rate it would crash into the planet.

This was the end that her brother foretold. That was how it was going to happen. And it was happening right now.

She heard pandemonium from the town below them. People had woken up from their coffins, though the Dark Hour was still upon them. The screams of the people did nothing to calm her as tears rolled down her face.

This was the end.

"Ha …. Ha…" Weak laughter came from behind her. It was the wounded Takaya crawling up from the lower floor. Though they had engaged him in battle, they chose not to deliver the final blow. Looks like it was coming back to haunt them.

"How marvelous! I cannot believe this moment has finally arrived!" He laughed maniacally. Ken's gaze flared up as he faced him.

"You…." He tried to speak but no words could explain his anger. Junpei, the least eloquent of them all, summed up his feelings perfectly.

"Just shuddup, you bastard!"

Takaya merely cackled. "Death will be patient no longer…. Can't you see that? Why struggle?"

Aigis shook her head. Her newfound human emotions only made the robot stronger. "I will not give up … Never!"

The moon created a series of shockwaves. The cackling Takaya grew weaker. "Everything will disappear …. Jin….."

He shut his eyes.

As the shockwaves continued, each of Minako's comrades collapsed. It wasn't long until she was the last one standing. The final shockwaves dealt its blow and she succumbed to a state of unconsciousness. She heard the fading voices of those she loved.

"Minako-san!" Aigis screamed out for the leader she swore to protect.

"Minako ….san…." Ken cried out weakly for the sister he never had.

"Minako!" Akihiko's voice called out to the woman he loved more than life itself.

Her world faded ….. and then she awoke to a sea of blue.

The Velvet Room.

Tears fell down her face as she tried to find her voice.

"What's …. Why … Am I …?"

"Do not worry. This isn't the afterlife. You are still alive." Igor explained from across the room. The elevator room was still moving, making Minako feel dizzy. She never did like elevators very much.

Then the moving room suddenly came to a halt.

Igor's faithful attendant Theo kept a hand on Minako's arm to steady her.

"We have reached our destination."

"Where …"

The Velvet Room doors opened to the peak of Tartarus. Minako turned back to Theo and Igor.

"…. You truly were a remarkable guest."

Minako ran out of the Velvet Room and suddenly she was back in her kneeling position she had taken before she fainted. The intense waves of power were still crushing her friends. They were trying to fight it will all their might. But ….

She stood up. It was much easier than she thought it would be. She felt as light as air…..

Minako looked up to the moon with a determined look on her face. The power that she had been given … the Wild Card and the bonds that she had made with the people around her have given her a new strength. Her body began to glow and her feet picked up from the ground. She slowly made her ascent to the moon. As she was doing so however, she heard voices call out from below.

"Minako!" She turned around to see Akihiko from down below. "….Don't tell me you're going to fight alone…!"

She merely smiled weakly, tears rolling down her face yet again.

"I'll be back. I promise, Aki."

.

Inside of Nyx….

"Minako-chan…" A familiar voice called out to her.

"…! Big brother!" He was still alive! She saw his familiar form shrouded within a fog. As she ran up to him the fog began to clear. There he was, physically unharmed and seemingly safe. She caught him in a bear hug, but he didn't respond with the same enthusiasm. She pulled back and saw the somber look on his face.

"The only way to seal off Nyx is with your life…"

She looked down. "I'm willing to do that …. For the people I love."

"And so am I."

She looked up, shocked. "What?"

"I can give you a choice, dear sister. I can take your place as the seal and you can stay on Earth with the people you love …. Or we can become the Great Seal together and live our lives together forever."

"Together …. Forever?" Her eyes widened. After ten years of living without her big brother, she can have him in her life forever? But ….. Akihiko…..

"Big bro…"

"…."

"I love you, big brother."

.

The seasons passed. Graduation day started off without a hitch.

Minako and Aigis skipped the graduation ceremony. They waited together on the rooftop, like they had promised they would before the fight with Nyx. Memories of their time together were just now clicking in Minako's brain. How could she have forgotten?

Minako was beginning to feel sleepy. Aigis kindly offered her lap. Normally she would accept that kind of offer, but these were different circumstances. She rested her head on the robotic maiden's lap, listening to her soft words lull her to sleep.

"The wind feels so nice... This is my first time experiencing spring. But, this season will eventually pass... After fighting alongside you, and facing the world's end... I finally began to understand...what it means to live... "

"Aigis…." Minako mumbled softly.

"I decided that I would continue to protect you. I want to be your strength. I know I'm not the only one who can do this... but that's okay. My life will be worth living if it's for this reason..."

"…."

"Thank you..."

Minako's eyelids were beginning to feel heavier. But she was still waiting for someone special. Someone she never should've forgotten about.

"Minako!" A wheezing voice screamed out and the rooftop door slammed open to reveal a disheveled Akihiko. Startled awake by the sounded, Minako jolted from her comfortable position on Aigis' lap.

"Aki…" She smiled gently. "You remember…."

He ran up to her grabbing her hand and cradling her body. "How could I have been so stupid to forget?"

"I don't know, you tell me." She smiled into his chest hugging it tightly. So warm….so soft.

This was where she was meant to be.

'I'm sorry big brother…. But the people I love are right here.' 

.

I definitely could've ended it better, but like I said I wanted to end the P3 side and start P4 because that's where the better action will be. This first half was basically the P3P game, and was so unoriginal. But I'll be having more fun with the second half, which will be posted here on the same story. So look out for the new P4 side!


	16. P4 Start!

"Approaching Yaso-Inaba Station. Please prepare for the last stop."

The train was nearly empty, save for a small family of three. The family consisted of what seemed to be two teenage siblings and their pet dog. But the 'teenage' girl was fuming on the inside.

'I can't believe I have to pass off as a sixteen-year-old again! And go to school as a freshman? Damn Mitsuru….'

That's right, folks. Minako Arisato was repeating her freshman year of high school. Not because she was dumb. She was actually ranked number 1 on every test in her previous school. So why was she acting as a high school freshman? She had Mitsuru Kirijo to blame for that.

.

They sat across from one another, two on one side, one on the other. Mitsuru Kirijo addressed her comrades.

"Minako Arisato. Ken Amada. And Koromaru, as well. I must turn to you three with a job of the utmost importance."

Ken, having just turned 14, had done some growing up over the years. He was now on equal footing with Minako, possible a hair taller. Speaking of hair, he had grown his out quite a bit, letting it sweep across his forehead. He filled out his middle school uniform quite nicely.

Koromaru's age did not show, as he was as youthful and vibrant as ever. He had taken to wearing Ken's old orange zip up that had once fit him in elementary school. The two had become quite the duo together, as they were the only ones still living in the Iwatodai dorm.

Then there was Minako. No longer a teenager, she was just a normal 20-year-old university student who wasn't sure what she wanted to do with her life. As a full-fledged adult, her body filled out in certain places… her bust line included. She was a solid D-cup, which embarrassed her to no end. Minako had taken to letting her hair out of the ponytail she had worn in high school, but kept her trademark hair pins that read "22" in roman numerals.

Even Mitsuru had grown up, though she had more subtle differences. Her face was already that of an adult when she was younger. That much hasn't changed. But she had taken over her father's role as the head of the Kirijo Group and even started her own secret organization dedicated to eradicating Shadow activity.

This was what they were here for now.

"What's the job?" Minako spoke for the three of them, her instincts as leader kicking in.

"In the small town of Inaba, there have been two murders two days apart. The cause of death is unknown for both. In addition to the murders, there have been three missing high school students that vanished without a trace only to reappear a few weeks later. Also side by side."

"Okay…." Minako took in the information skeptically. "Murders and missing people. What do they have to do with us?"

Mitsuru's eyes narrowed. "Shadow activity."

"E-excuse me?" Ken stuttered.

"There has been a sudden rise in Shadow activity in the area and we have reason to believe that it is the cause of the murders." She folded her heads together as she spoke, keeping eye contacts with her comrades across the table.

"How?!"

"The cause of death was unknown for each of the victims. But there was shadow residue on their bodies."

Minako bit her lip. The Dark Hour was over. Tartarus was gone. Weren't the Shadows supposed to leave with them? Turns out it wasn't as simple as she thought.

"So…. What do you want us to do?" Ken asked, unsure why he was there.

"As Shadow Operatives, we would like to send you undercover to investigate the area for Shadow activity. If you choose to accept, we will provide everything for you. Housing, food, finances, as well as your cover stories."

Minako and Ken shared a look. They turned to each other, then to Koromaru, and turned back to face Mitsuru. With no hesitation in their voices, they answered simultaneously.

"We accept."

.

Had she known her cover story included being a transfer freshman in the local high school, she wouldn't have accepted so easily.

"I feel so stupid in this uniform." Minako whined, tugged at the scarf and sailor collar of her uniform. Ken was seated next to her in his new uniform as well, a rather plain gakuran that he filled out nicely.

"You look very nice in it, Minako-san." He complimented her politely.

"I feel like I'm cosplaying."

"…." His face reddened a bit.

"Ewww, Ken-kun what're you thinking?!"

He coughed, covering his blushing face. "…. Nothing."

Minako pouted, puffing up her cheeks.

"You know, once we get off this train, you have to call me Minako-nee. Or Mina-nee. Whichever rolls off the tongue easier."

"I couldn't do that!" Ken's proper manners kicked in. No matter how long they've known each other, he still called her with the respective –san because she was his senpai and he her kouhai.

"Well, you'll have to! We're undercover agents."

"I think you're having too much fun with that title."

"But it's fun, isn't it?" She asked playfully, sticking her tongue out. Ken's serious demeanor melted away.

"…. Yeah, it is fun." He said, laughing together with her.

Koromaru barked. The train was coming to a stop.

Time to start their act.

.

YAY! I get to do P4! I can't tell which game I love the most. I love the characters of both, though I wish P4 had a female protagonist option. I have to say I love the Inaba setting better, but I like the serious tone of P3 as well. If only they could mold it together into one glorious game.

*Spoilers for P4!* (But if you're reading this story before playing the game, why would you do that? The game is better than this fic.)

If you didn't notice already, this story takes place sometime in the middle of P4Golden, after Rise is kidnapped but before King Moron is killed.

I will say this. In this side of the story, there will be much less Aki/Mina interactions. That's not to say he won't appear, but for now he will only be mentioned. I want to focus on the Ken/Mina family dynamic right now, but Aki and Minako will have a wonderful reuniting when the time comes.


	17. Welcome To Inaba

Koromaru fled the train first. He was very unsettled within the confined space of the train, so when the doors opened, he relished the fresh breeze of air. Minako and Ken gathered their bags and followed after the dog.

"Koro-chan, wait up! There are leash laws here!" Ken cried out, fumbling for the leash in his pocket. It was a little sad having to put Koromaru on a leash but here in Inaba, he had to play as their 'pet', not their friend.

Koromaru whimpered, but complied with Ken as he hooked the leash to an old collar; the same one that Koromaru wore with his previous owner. It was a precious keepsake of his and Minako thought it best to have him wear it, if only to comfort him with the idea of having an 'owner' again.

The new 'family' walked down the steps of the train station to take in the scenery. The land was pretty bare and the town was small, but Minako found it rather refreshing. The air seemed cleaner than the city, at least.

"So this is where we'll be living….." Ken mused as he scanned the area. On the street in front of the station he saw a man standing next to a town car, carrying a sign that said "Amada".

While they were staying together undercover, Mitsuru thought it best for them to take on the same family name, and assigned them Ken's family name so that they wouldn't confuse their own names. So for the time being, Minako Arisato was now "Minako Amada".

"That must be our ride."

Minako was thankful that Mitsuru didn't send a limo for them. There were times when the young woman's upbringing shielded certain aspects of common sense, like trying not to stand out. The woman wore a magnificently expensive fur coat everywhere she went, after all. It must've been Aigis who had the idea to send the town car.

"Let's go, Mina-nee." Ken smirked at Minako's bewildered face as he took flight, running with Koromaru towards the car.

"You brat!"

It wasn't going to be that hard for them to be a family.

.

The newly named Amada family arrived at the house they would be living in. The neighborhood seemed to be a nice quiet place. There weren't many houses around theirs save for one; and it looked like their new neighbors came out to greet them.

Minako, Ken and Koromaru stepped out of the car to find an older unshaven man appearing to be in his early forties waiting for them. Standing behind his leg was a tiny little girl in a white sundress. The pigtailed girl peeked behind her father's legs at the new neighbors. Ken caught her gaze, but she quickly hid once again.

"Hey there! Welcome to the neighborhood." The man greeted them kindly, shaking each of their hands. "I heard you kids would be young, but you look as old as my nephew. Are your parents around?"

Minako winced a bit. Parents. The one thing they were missing from their act. The man caught her wince and his grin flipped into a frown. His thoughts immediately assumed the worst.

"Oh. I'm sorry. You don't have to say anything."

"Ah, no it's okay." Minako said, not wanting him to feel bad, but lucky at the break she caught. "I am the matriarch of the family, I guess. I'm Minako A-Amada and this is my brother, Ken."

Ken, ever the polite one, bowed slightly. "It's nice to meet you, sir."

"Ah!" The man exclaimed, as if remembering something. "Where are my manners? My name is Ryoutaro Dojima. I live next door. And this…" He stepped to the side revealing the little girl once again. "…is my daughter Nanako."

Minako knelt down onto the ground, as if approaching a cat. "It's nice to meet you, Nanako-chan." She said, smiling.

"…hello…" She heard a tiny response back. This little girl was just too cute!

"I have a nephew staying with me about your age, Minako-kun." Dojima addressed her playfully. "By the looks of your uniform, you guys go to the same school. He was actually a transfer student like you are. Maybe he could show you around."

Minako shook off his offer. "Ah, that's okay. I don't want to be too much of a bother!"

"Nonsense! Look, there he is now!" He pointed off in the opposite direction. Two high school students were coming their way. One had somewhat long hair that was dyed brown and had a pair of headphones around his neck. He folded his arms around his necked, casually stretching from a hard day's work. The boy next to him was somewhat taller and had silvery gray hair similar to a certain someone in Minako's life.

Minako blushed slightly at the thought of Akihiko, her boyfriend of over 3 years. How he wished he could've joined her in this investigation. Too bad he didn't fit the criteria that Mitsuru was looking for. He looked too old to still be in high school.

"Yu! Hanamura too! There's someone I'd like you to meet." Dojima called them over. The two boys rushed over at his call. It seemed that Dojima instilled some fear.

The boys were close enough for Minako to see how handsome they were. Too bad she was a taken lady.

Keeping up with appearances, she introduced herself again. "Nice to meet you. I'm Minako Amada."

Ken stepped up as well. "I'm Ken Amada. Oh. And this is Koromaru." He addressed the long forgotten dog, who had taken to sniffing Nanako's hand, deeming her friendly.

"It's nice to meet you, as well. I'm Yu Narukami, and this is my friend Yosuke Hanamura." The silver-haired teen spoke even more politely than Ken, if that was possible. Minako didn't think it was.

Ack. But so many new names to keep up with.

"Minako-kun here is transferring to your school. I was wondering if you'd show her the ropes. You too, Hanamura." Dojima said it in a way that they couldn't say no even if they wanted to.

"Oh, another transfer student?" The friend, Yosuke, spoke up. He kind of winked at her, not in a flirty way, but a playful one. "Well then I think we should start a club. Yu and I started out as transfer students too. We'll totally show you around."

Wow, people were really nice in Inaba.

"…if it's not too much trouble, I would really appreciate it." Minako accepted their help. It wouldn't hurt to get some friends in Inaba.

"So what grade are you in?" Yu asked innocently. Minako was hoping to avoid that. It gave her much shame as a twenty-year-old.

"I'm a freshman."

"Then I guess that makes us your senpai."

Dammit.

.

The house itself was pretty small, but it was perfect for Minako and Ken. They didn't need much, after all. Mitsuru had it already furnished for them, rather lavishly at that. She didn't put much money on the outside of the house but it showed on the inside. Especially with that flat screen TV. It was so huge, you could fit a person inside.

The first thing they did, before even unpacking, was set up the altar. Candles were lit. Flowers were bought from a local store they found with Yu and Yosuke's help. The picture frame was set in place.

"Well, Shinjiro-san. This is our new home. What do you think?"

They couldn't leave him behind in the empty dorm, after all.

.

I'm planning on posting short chapters, about a thousand words each. With shorter chapters, comes faster updates.


	18. Making Some Suspicious Friends

"And these are our friend Chie Satonaka, Yukiko Amagi and Kanji Tatsumi."

More names to memorize. This was getting harder and harder.

"Chie and Yukiko are your senpai too, but it looks like Kanji here is in your class." Yosuke pointed to the tallest boy with a menacing look on his face. Wait the oldest looking one in the group is a freshman? Damn.

Minako put on a smile. "Thank you for showing me around. I'm okay from here." She said, trying to leave. But Chie, the girl with the green sweater around her waist grabbed ahold of her arm. Were they holding her hostage or something?

"Hold on a minute. Kanji-kun here will walk you to class."

Gulp.

'Kanji-kun' didn't look too happy about it either. It looked like his face was red from anger. Or was that … blushing?

"…mkay." He mumbled, following his senpai's orders. "Follow me."

Minako reluctantly followed the towering blonde as she waved goodbye to her 'seniors'. She walked behind him, watching his movements and the other students' faces. Kanji Tatsumi split the sea of students as he walked down the hall, clearing a pathway for Minako to follow. The students seemed to fear him. She couldn't really blame them. He hasn't said a thing to her at all.

"This is it." He stopped at the end of the hallway, where it was more empty. Unfortunately, Minako didn't exactly see where she was going, and kept walking straight into Kanji. They collided, and something fell out of Kanji's pocket.

"I-I'm so sorry! I'll get that for you!"

"No wait-"

Kanji was too late. She saw everything.

Minako knelt down on the ground and picked up the hand knit rabbit from the floor. Was this really was fell out of Kanji Tatsumi's pocket? She decided to test out the waters.

"Is this… yours?"

He immediately made a grab for it, swipping it out of her hands. He was pissed.

"You gonna make fun of me for it?!"

Minako had a dumbfounded expression on her face. "Why would I do that? It's adorable!"

Kanji blushed, scratching the back of his head. "R-really? Cuz, y'know… I made it.."

"Really?! You have to teach me how!"

"O-okay…"

And thus was the start of a beautiful friendship between the 'freshmen'.

.

Yosuke and Chie were shocked by how easily Minako had 'tamed' Kanji. By lunchtime, the two were hanging out on the rooftop, where Kanji brought out some knitting needles and yarn. He was instructing her to start off small with a scarf. Yu and Yukiko sat alongside them, munching on their home made bentos. Minako made herself quite comfortable with this group of friends. They reminded her of the friends she left behind in Iwatodai.

"But man, mad props Kanji for snagging the new girl! And on her first day too!" Yosuke teased his kouhai, whose face flamed up.

"It ain't like that!" He screamed, but his face couldn't be any redder.

"Sure it's not… by the way, Minako-chan, do you have a boyfriend?" Yosuke asked not so smoothly. He was secretly itching to know. His search for a girlfriend would never end.

"Actually, I do." Totally shot down. Yosuke's heart would never recover.

"O-oh?" Yukiko stumbled on her words, suddenly interested in the conversation. Chie too, immediately became engrossed. Time for some girl talk.

"How long have you been dating?" Yukiko asked excitedly, as each of the girls huddled around Minako.

"About … three years."

"Three years?! Since you were thirteen?!" Chie screamed out, catching the attention of the boys.

"Oh- um …" Crap she didn't think about that.

"How old is he?"

"Um … about my age…." Twenty one, but she couldn't tell them that.

"Are you guys doing the long distance thing?" Yu popped up from behind the huddle of girls, just as into the conversation as the girls were. This guy was interestingly weird.

"Yeah… it's ….hard." Was the only thing Minako could say on the subject. She didn't get to see him as much as she would've liked to before, what with school. But they still made time for each other. With this distance between them, it certainly was….hard.

"Have you guys…you know?" Chie practically begged, getting closer so that the boys wouldn't hear.

"….." Minako's red face was a dead giveaway. The girls, and Yu, squealed in pleasure, anxious for all the juicy details.

She only just met these people and they know every aspect of her relationship. What was up with these people?

.

Okay. It was time to get down to business. Minako and Ken huddled on the floor next to their table, which had the manila folder full of information on the Shadow activity out and open. Details of the homicide investigations, and the missing persons reports.

"Wait, Yukiko Amagi AND Kanji Tatsumi?! They were the first two that had gone missing?" Minako cried out, obviously shocked.

"Do you know them?" Ken asked curiously.

"Yeah, they're my new friends at school. I can't believe they were involved in this though. And from the same circle of friends too…."

"Maybe they became friends because of their shared experience." Ken threw out there as a possibility. Minako contemplated the idea. It sounded plausible, but her intuition said there was something else there.

"I should keep an eye on them. The whole group, too. Hm…"

"Woah, woah woah!" Ken yelled out after he shuffled through the papers, scaring Minako. "Risette was the third one missing?! She's here in Inaba?!"

"Who's Risette?" Minako asked after recovering from Ken's odd reaction. He never showed that much enthusiasm before.

"You don't know?! She's only the top idol in the country! I mean… she's okay ….talented… gorgeous." Ken tried to deflate his excitement. Minako pouted. Ken was in his teenage years after all, but she didn't think he would be so interested in girls by now. It was a little upsetting, actually. Like watching her son grow up.

"So this girl…. Rise Kujikawa was the third victim…. She was just found recently by …. !" Minako gasped. She was found by Yu Narukami. Red flag just got redder.

How did the cops not get this connection?

That group definitely had something to do with this. Maybe not in the way they thought.

.


	19. Welcome Parties and Business Talk

Rise Kujikawa was still recovering, so her questioning would have to wait. For now, Minako and Ken were getting to know their new neighbors. Dojima was welcoming enough to let them into his home. Seated at the table full of food was his adorable daughter, charmingly suspicious nephew and one more man that was not yet introduced. He looked young enough, probably about mid-twenties. He was dressed in a wrinkled suit and tie, but looked awkwardly handsome in it. He smiled at Minako when she walked into the living room.

"Hey there. You must be Minako-chan! Dojima-san's told me about you." He got up to shake her hand, which Minako graciously accepted, "I'm Adachi, Dojima-san's partner."

"Partner?" Minako asked with a questionable look on her face.

"Oh right, I didn't tell you." Dojima mused, taking his seat by the table. "We're actually detectives."

"O-oh really? How interesting." Ken stumbled on his words. Mitsuru must've known about this. Why else would she choose the house right next to his?

"That's right, so if you see any trouble, you know who to find!" Adachi exclaimed with a grin on his face. He seemed trustworthy enough in Minako's eyes.

"Thank you so much for welcoming us. You've all been very kind." Minako formally thanked them all.

"Hey, hey, enough with all the formal talk. For now, let's eat!"

.

"Well this is it! My father's pride and joy, Junes!" Yosuke announced as he guided the group to the Junes food court. The group consisted of Yosuke, Yu, Minako, Ken, Nanako, Chie, Yukiko, Kanji and Koromaru. This was the second welcoming party for the three. Minako had never seen such nice people before. The city folk have always been rude and cutthroat. Maybe she should stay in Inaba once this is all said and done.

"So, you're Ken-kun, correct? Minako's brother?" Yukiko asked, taking a seat at one of the larger tables. The large party pretty much required it.

"That's right. It's very nice to meet you all. Please take care of my sister." Ken smiled, though he was secretly watching the movements of the students Minako deemed suspicious. They were definitely friendly enough but their association with the case was certainly …iffy.

"Wow, he's so polite! I wish my little brother was like that!" Chie said, as she took her usual seat next to Yukiko. Kanji was busy playing with Koromaru, who was a little wary of so many new faces, but was starting to open up.

"Ken-kun, how are you liking school so far? You making friends?" Yu asked. Minako popped her head up, eager to hear the answer. Truthfully, she was worried about how Ken would adapt to the new school environment. She may not need the education here, but Ken was still a real student.

"Well, I joined the soccer team…" Ken said, not liking the attention on him.

"Oh really? I'm a member myself on the high school team. Maybe we could play together." Yu smiled, enjoying the other boy's company. He truly was a nice guy. To think he may have something to do with the incidents.

"That would be awesome!" Ken's face lit up. Minako was glad he was happy in this new place. Even Koromaru was adapting quickly, playing a game of fetch with Nanako and Kanji.

But they weren't supposed to be making friends. They were supposed to be investigating.

"Hey, uh Minako-chan?" Her ears perked up. Yosuke was calling her. "I don't know if you've heard about the … uh… incidents that happened in town a while ago."

"Incidents?" Now they were getting somewhere. Time to play dumb. "What incidents?"

"A couple months ago…. Two women were murdered. The culprit hasn't been caught yet. We don't want to scare you, we just want you to be aware and stay safe."

"Oh." That was weird. They were warning her. If they had something to do with the murders, would they really try to warn her? "Well thank you. We'll stay safe."

Yosuke breathed aa sigh of relief. "Phew. That's great. We don't want anyone else to get hurt."

Minako nodded her head. Maybe her intuition about them was wrong. They didn't do anything to cause anything bad….. but she'd still keep one eye open.

.

"Please report." Mitsuru's voice rang out on the speaker phone.

"There have been no signs of the Dark Hour or any kind of similar phenomenon. In addition, there have been zero Shadow sightings. In short, we can't find any Shadow activity whatsoever." Minako spoke in a business-like tone, reading off her official reports which she would later fax over to the Shadow Operatives office.

"Strange…. The activity charts are through the roof but you can't find anything related to Shadows?"

"Nothing." Ken chimed in. "In regards to the murders, we have no more information than the police does. We befriended some of the missing people that seemed suspicious, but they may be unrelated."

"Regardless, please keep your eye on them. Concerning the Shadow activity, research anything of suspicion. I don't care if they're just silly rumors. We need to find out what's causing this kind of activity."

"Understood."

"Now then," Mitsuru dropped the formalities. "Yukari and Junpei send their regards. They only wish they could've been able to join you if not for their prior obligations."

"That's okay. I know Yukari is like a superstar now. She just would've brought too much attention to the investigation. Though I'd have loved her help…." Minako ruminated. If she had the old gang with her, that'd be wonderful. She just missed them all so much.

"Fuuka sent a …questionable care package to your address. I strongly caution you not to ingest its contents."

"Duly noted." They began to slip back into business mode. It was hard not to sometimes with the prim and proper way that Mitsuru spoke.

"And Aki?" Minako asked, not hiding the hope in her voice.

"He has successfully journeyed out on his training expedition. He will be unable to send you communication for the next few months, but he has expressed interest in visiting you when it is over."

"Really?! Can he?!"

"Well…." Mitsuru contemplated. "It may compromise the investigation…."

Minako's face fell.

"…but I'll allow it."

"Yes! Thank you Mitsuru-chan! I'd hug you if we weren't on the phone."

"…. You're welcome, Minako …chan."

Aw, Mitsuru's social awkwardness was so cute.

.


	20. Minako Smells A Mystery

"And now, the weather." The perky newscaster tuned into the next item on her agenda. "As a result of this week's rain, a thick fog will come over Inaba."

Minako thought nothing of it as she kept the news on in the background while she, Ken and Koromaru ate dinner. She did think to herself how much rain the countryside's had for the couple of weeks they had been there.

.

The next morning sirens erupted all over town, waking up its citizens and the cicadas. For some of the residents, they knew what it meant.

Someone was murdered.

.

"Shit!" Minako cursed out loud. They had been in Inaba for two weeks, had gotten nowhere on their case, and now there was a third victim? Mitsuru was going to execute them for sure. Ken was no longer young enough to use his cuteness factor and avoid punishment. Koromaru was exempt automatically, of course.

Minako and Ken were currently pacing around their home, Minako more so than Ken. Ken was trying to pacify her.

"Let's just think things through. We need more details on the victim." Ken spoke logically.

"You're right. Thankfully, we live right next door to the detective on the case. Now we just need a plan to squeeze out the details…." Minako thought about it. Dojima-san was a smart man. He was tough. He probably wouldn't spill any details to a couple of teenagers. So who would have loose lips?

Without a clue to start on, Minako left the house in search of ….something. Little did she know waiting outside her that day was the first breakthrough on the case.

"Minako-chan?" A voice startled her out of her skin. Waiting outside the house next door was Adachi. Perfect.

"Ah, Adachi-san!" Time to put up the scared schoolgirl act. "Wh-what's going on? I heard the sirens in the morning and couple of rumors about a d-dead body?" She may have hammed it up with the stutters.

His face turned grim. "I'm afraid the rumors are true."

"R-really?!" Maybe she could squeeze out a couple of tears. Men always succumbed to a crying girl.

"But don't worry, Minako-chan! We're here so you don't need to feel scared." Adachi tried to reassure her.

"Thank you, Adachi-san." She smiled weakly back. "I just… I'm scared to know who it was. I'd hate to lose a friend already." That's right, play the new girl angle.

"Well, to be honest…." Oh no, was it really someone she knew? "…. It was a teacher at your school."

"What?! Really?" Minako certainly wasn't expecting that.

"I don't think he taught your year, so you wouldn't really know him that well. He only taught second years."

And she knew just the second years to talk to.

"Adachi!" Dojima's frightening voice echoed. Adachi's face twisted into a look of absolute horror. "Did I hear correctly? Were you giving details of our vic to a civilian?"

"N-no, sir! Leaking information? I would never do that!" He waved his arms in the air, trying to defend himself. Dojima grabbed him by the shoulder, dragging Adachi to his car. "We'll talk about this at the precinct!"

And they drove off.

Poor Adachi. At least Minako had some kind of clue on what to do next.

She decided to seek out Yu Narukami.

.

Minako had located the targets.

The group of seven was currently relaxing in the Junes food court. She noticed there were two new faces in the group; Rise Kujikawa, who she recognized from the magazines Ken had laying around, and an unfamiliar blond boy.

She only caught a few keywords in the conversation, "TV", "King Moron", and "grudges". None of it made any sense to her.

"He was a capital-A asshole, but that doesn't justify killing him…" Yosuke spoke about his deceased teacher, the so called "King Moron". So that was one word to cross off the list.

"There is no need to investigate the subject any longer." A foreign voice rang out, startling both Minako and her classmates. Minako peeked from her hiding place. The speaker appeared to be a boy not much older than the rest of them, but his presence was that of an adult's.

"The police have found a suspect. It would be best to let them handle the case from here."

Minako gasped. The police found a suspect that quickly? Then why was she in Inaba in the first place? She decided to forgo eavesdropping for now and left home. Mitsuru had to hear this.

.

"A suspect has been apprehended?!" Mitsuru's voice resonated with shock.

"Mitsuru, I have to ask… why are we here? We haven't seen any Shadow activity whatsoever, and the murder is being solved the police. Clearly we're not need here."

"Arisato, I can assure you that there are Shadows behind this. I am faxing over the police reports on the most recent murder. This should clear some doubts up."

"More shadow residue?" Minako asked skeptically. At that moment, her fax machine rang and began to print said documents.

"No. There was no shadow residue on this body whatsoever. Additionally, if you look at the cause of death in the previous murders, you will see that it was undetermined. Now if you turn to the page on Mr. Morooka's death…." Minako flipped the page as Mitsuru requested. She read the lines quickly and the dots began to connect.

"…. It was clear that he was killed by blunt force trauma…! You mean he wasn't killed in the same way?"

"Correct." Mitsuru confirmed. "Whoever killed the teacher was not related to the other two murders. It was a copycat killing."

"So the suspect the police have in custody don't have anything to do with the Shadow activity…"

"Also correct."

The newest murder had nothing to the with the first two or the disappearances of the high school students. But the lack of shadow activity…. That was distressing Minako.

"Arisato?" Mitsuru's voice had a worrying tone to it.

"Ah, yes Mitsuru?"

"Have you been following up any of the town rumors?" Oh. That.

"Well…. Um….."

"Minako…" Ack, that was her execution voice!

"Well, Ken-kun heard a rumor today in school. Something called the Midnight Channel. Apparently, if you stare at a turned off TV at midnight on a rainy day, you'll see your soulmate." Not that Minako thought it had anything to do with the case. Mitsuru, surprisingly enough, begged to differ.

"You will check up on the rumor."

"… Yes Ma'am."

And gee, lucky her. It was raining that night and the clock was ticking. The big hand was nearing 12.

Minako turned off everything. The TV, lights, any little thing so that she wouldn't miss the details. When the clock switched to midnight, she stared at the TV with unwavering concentration.

Nothing.

Well that was to be expected. She turned her head away, ready to leave the living room when she heard something. Static.

The TV turned back on with a mind of its own. The static waves were sounding off in the air. She moved back to the large TV, anxious to catch a glimpse of something. The glare from the TV was bright, but there was no image. Just static. Minako turned the lights back on, then moved to the back of the TV. The cord was unplugged.

Minako found a new mystery.

.


	21. The Mystery That Tried To Eat Her

"I'm not crazy! The TV really did turn on by itself!"

"Sure it did, Minako-san." Ken mumbled into his cereal. Koromaru simply yawned and curled himself into a ball on his bed.

Why did nobody believe her? The TV really turned on by itself, though nobody showed up on the screen. So the whole 'you will see your soulmate' as a big fat lie, but there was some truth to the mystery of the Midnight Channel. She just had to prove to Ken that something was up.

"You don't believe me, do you?" Ken simply shook his head. Minako pouted in response. "Fine then, I'll show you! The next time it rains, you'll see the truth!"

.

It didn't rain again until after exams. Minako sighed out of annoyance. She cursed Mitsuru for making her go to high school again. Why did she have to exams when she already passed high school with flying colors?

Minako had assimilated herself into the school quite well, especially with Yu Narukami and company. She, Kanji, and now Rise Kujikawa were all in the same class so they spent their lunchtime together, sometimes with the upperclassmen as well. In terms of friendships, Minako has built quite a few of them here in Inaba. However, she still felt like her new friends were holding back on her. There was some kind of secret they all shared, and it almost certainly had something to do with the murder cases. She remembered a conversation they had in Junes a couples ago, the day the third body was found. They were talking about the deceased and what kind of motive the killer might have. Perhaps… they were trying to solve the case themselves?

But what reason would they have? And what was the connection between the murders and the disappearing students that were added to that one group of friends? There was still a large chunk of information that was missing. Once Minako got ahold of it, maybe she could be able to piece this mystery together.

For now, all she had to do was live her incognito life as normally as she could.

"Hey! Minako-chan!" Chie called out to her in the middle of the Junes food court. When did she arrive at Junes? Minako made a mental note not to walk around aimlessly while thinking about the investigation. Who knows where her legs would take her? "Over here!"

Chie, Yosuke, Yukiko and Kanji were surrounding what appeared to be a bear. Maybe it was Junes' new mascot or something.

"We have someone who's been itching to meet you."

Oh? Someone new?

Yosuke pulled the bear mascot to the front of the crowd. "This is Teddie."

"…. The bear mascot's name is Teddie?" They couldn't think of anything original at Junes?

"Haha, no…" He laughed as he unzipped the costume's head, revealing a rather adorable androgynous boy with blonde hair. "…this is Teddie."

….Duh. Of course there was a person in the bear suit. Why didn't she think of it before?

"Teddie is a friend of ours. We told him about you, and lately he's been begging for us to bring you here." Chie explained. "What a coincidence you came here, huh?"

"Yeah…" Minako replied uneasily. There was something about Teddie that unnerved her. Probably something to do with the way he was staring at her.

"Oh..! Minako-chan! Words do you no justice!" Teddie cried out whimsically. "….Can I try scoring with you?"

The expression on Minako's face was indescribable. A mixture of anger, disgust, embarrassment and tiniest bit of flattery.

"Dude!" Yosuke yelled out, hitting the blonde on top of his head. "You don't say that to a girl you just met! I'm sorry, Minako-chan. Teddie is ….untrainable." He apologized for him as if Teddie was his pet. Which he may as well be.

"….. it's okay… I think." Minako wasn't exactly sure what to say. Teddie looked and acted like a child who didn't know any better. Maybe he just had a bad influence….. Yosuke.

.

"Ahh, we're finally free!" Yosuke stretched his arms once school was over. Minako and the freshman were in the second-years' classroom, hanging out with the senpai. "Hey, why don't we go somewhere during summer vacation? My motorcycle's back from the shop."

"You guys have motorcycles?" Minako asked curiously. She considered taking the test to get a license in the past, but the city was so crowded and the traffic alone would drive her nuts, so she opted out. But now, with the open roads of Inaba, her interest sparked again.

"Only me and Yu. Yu's is more of a scooter but… same thing. Anyways, we should totally go to the beach! A train would be a pain to ride, but a motorcycle…"

"But wouldn't everyone need a motorcycle to ride? If that's the case, we need to take the test." Minako brought up logically.

"We can't. We're too young." Kanji argued, pointing to himself, Rise and apparently Minako. If only they knew….

"Aw, sorry Kanji, but my birthday was last month. I'm sixteen now!" Rise fought Kanji's logic. In a last-ditch effort to hide her age, Minako jumped on Rise's bandwagon with a simple "me too".

"Hey, that's cheating!" Kanji yelled out. He was just upset because he was too young.

"I think it's a good idea to take the test. It only takes a week."

Hm…. A motorcycle license. She would need something to ride, of course. Maybe she could talk Mitsuru into lending her the one she rode as a teenager. Ken and Koromaru would definitely enjoy a day at the beach, too….. Oh right!

"Is it okay if Ken-kun and Koro-chan come with us?" Minako asked, hoping for a yes.

Yu smiled. "Of course it is."

Yay, beach time! All she had to do was pass the test.

.

Later the next night, it rained. Minako knew what it meant. Time to show Ken the Midnight Channel.

"Alright, the clock reads 11:59. The TV is unplugged. Everything is set up." Minako announced as she, Ken and Koromaru sat in the living room, staring at the television.

"This is crazy." Ken muttered skeptically.

"Sh." She shushed him. "Ten more seconds until midnight."

"It's not gonna work."

"Shut up."

5.

4.

3.

2.

1.

The tell-tale static was all she needed to hear. The screen lit up, enveloping the room in light. Ken's eyes widened.

"See I told ya!" Minako bragged, not looking at the screen.

"There's someone on the screen."

Minako moved her head quickly, almost snapping her neck. The picture on the screen was undeniable. This didn't happen last time. She ran up to the TV, as if looking for further proof. But the picture was extremely vivid. It showed a gawky, lonely looking boy, with dead black eyes. He just stood there, backed up against a wall that looked like it came out of a 90s video game. Finally, he spoke.

"You all think you can see me? You all think you know everything about me?" He forced a laugh from his throat.

"Then try and catch me."

The screen then faded to black.

"What….was that?" Ken asked, as if not believing what he just witnessed with his own eyes. Minako simply shook her head.

"I don't know…." She got closer to the glass of the screen, the image still imprinted in her brain. She touched the warm screen. It felt soft, almost gooey…..

And then her hand went through the screen.

"Ahhh…!"

"Minako-san!"

"Woof!"

The TV turned into some kind of wormhole, trying to suck her in. And with the size of that screen, it probably could have if Ken didn't pull her out. Minako panted on the floor.

"The TV friggin tried to eat me!" She screamed.

"Minako-san…."

"I mean, what the hell?!"

"Minako-san…"

"I'm not dreaming, am I? That just happened, right?"

"Minako-san!" Ken yelled out, breaking her insane train of thought.

"What?!" She spat back angrily.

"I think we found our source of Shadow activity."

.


	22. Minako and Ken are on the Case!

Ring. Ring. Ring. Click.

"Hello?" Mitsuru answered groggily. She glanced at the alarm clock on her bedside. 12:04.

"We found the source!" The voice blasted into her ear, almost rupturing her ear drum. She pulled the phone away from her ear automatically, wincing in pain.

"Minako?" She questioned sleepily. There was some shuffling on the other side of the line, some shouting and barking.

"We found the source for the Shadow activity!" Ken's voice also rang out sharply. Mitsuru's mind began to clear.

"You found it?! Where?!"

"There was this rumor floating around about something called the Midnight Channel. An image of a person shows up on a turned off TV at midnight. Only when it's raining. We tried it tonight and someone showed up! Then Minako-san put her hand through the TV that opened up a wormhole and tried to suck her in!"

"…. Amada? Are you sure you didn't dream this?"

More shuffling. Minako's voice showed up this time.

"We didn't dream it! It really happened. I got a peek of whatever it was inside the TV. It was like an entire world! We need to explore it!"

"Permission denied."

"… What?!"

"I can't allow you to investigate a world we have no control over without someone like Yamagishi or I to back you up."

"But we-"

"No objections."

"But what if-"

"Absolutely not."

"…"

"I urge you not to act on your own. This is unknown territory. Until we have more information, I cannot allow further investigation. Understood?"

"…..Yes, Kirijo-san." Minako spat back bitterly. Mitsuru's chest stung, but it was for the best. Better to let Minako be angry with her than endanger her safety.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going back to sleep. I suggest you do so as well. Good night."

Transmission over.

.

"What did he mean by 'try and catch me'?"

Minako and Ken sat at the table the next morning, going over the details of last night. After all of the 'excitement' over the human eating TV, they had almost forgotten the contents of the Midnight Channel itself. For example, the boy that was broadcasted…who was he? How did he show up on the Midnight Channel? And why?

"He sounds like he's taunting someone…" Ken thinks to himself. Minako silently agreed. His provoking words were certainly menacing. She repeated the words back to herself, trying to understand the meaning. The obvious one, of course, was the literal version of trying to catch him. So was he hiding? And what would he be hiding from? The first thing Minako could think of would be hiding from police, but that would only be if the boy as a criminal. Unless….

"Could he be our killer?"

Ken picked himself up from his seat. "Where'd you get that idea from?"

"It's just a hunch."

"Maybe we should put it to the test. Let's find some more information on him." Ken left the table, grabbing his hoodie vest and zipping it up. Minako followed him out the door, locking it behind her before they set off in search of clues.

.

The pair found themselves at Junes where Minako knew a certain group of friends were likely to be spotted. And there they were. A couple of heads were missing, such as Rise and Teddie, but they were caught up in what seemed to be a serious conversation. If they could just get close enough to hear them. Before they started inching their way closer to their table, a new presence made itself known.

"It's great to have a suspect and all, but it'd be even greater if we could just find him….. and a high schooler too….." Adachi mumbled to himself a little louder than he should have as he walked aimlessly around the food court. Realizing he caught the attention of both groups, he let an "oops!" and scurried off as quickly as he appeared, leaving them to awkwardly make eye contact with one another.

"H-hey Minako-chan, Ken-kun. What brings you here?" Yosuke asked shakily, hoping to God they didn't hear their conversation.

"Oh, nothing much, just doing some shopping." Minako laughed clumsily, cursing the fact that their cover was blown.

"You don't have any bags with you." Yukiko pointed out.

Oh great, what were they supposed to do now?

"…."

"….. well we gotta jet. Koro-chan is waiting for us!"

And they ran as fast as they could.

.

"Oh great," Ken huffed, still winded from the running they did. "Now they're going to suspect something."

They ran the entire way home without stopping. It sounded like it was a long way, but it really wasn't. Inaba was a pretty closeknit town where almost everything was in walking distance, and their house wasn't that far from Junes to begin with. They were still exhausted, though.

"We still got something though." Minako replied as she plopped down onto the sofa. Koromaru jumped up next to her, whimpering at her weakened state. She patted his head, soothing his worries.

"Yeah? What's that?"

"The suspect is a high schooler that's gone missing. And where do you suppose someone would go if they don't want to be found?" Minako asked Ken inquisitively. The gears clicked inside his brain.

"Inside the TV."

Minako shifted her position on the couch and shuffled for her cellphone, finding it in between the sofa cushions.

"We need to report to Mitsuru."

Ken stopped her with a wave of his hand. She stopped her dialing, staring at him with a questioning gaze.

"Mitsuru won't let us investigate this new world, though. We need something else to bring to the table."

"But we have the killer inside the TV world! That should be incentive enough." Minako argued. Ken brought a hand to his face in a contemplative position.

"We have to think about this carefully. If we go in without an escape route we could stuck there with a possible killer. We need a plan first."

She pouted. Minako knew he was right, but she was itching to know what wwas on the other side of the TV. It was obvious that this world would be a huge game changer for their case and it was just sitting there begging to be explored. But Ken and Mitsuru were right. It wasn't smart to just barrel through unknown territory without thinking. She sighed, giving in.

"Okay."

Ken nodded his head in triumph. "Good."

"So what do we do now?"

He thought about it again. Looking back on the missing people, they were found again within a month's time. Maybe they should treat this case along the same lines.

"We wait."

.

Thank you all the kind words, follows and favorites! I like writing the shorter chapters. It makes it easier to update frequently. And I promise to see this story through and finish it. I've read plenty of stories with so much potential, way better than mine that just don't get updated and it breaks my heart.

Now I'm just itching to get Aki back in the story. Which he will be folks. Just wait and it'll all be worth it.


	23. Festival Mystery Date?

Staying true to Ken's word, Minako waited. Three weeks passed since she promised they would wait. Every time it so much as drizzled, she pounced onto the TV hoping to see something again. Nothing ever showed up. She knew it was only a matter of time, but she never realized how long of a time it could be.

After last night, when nothing showed up on the Midnight Channel yet again, Minako had all but given up. Then the morning news announced that the suspected killer was under police custody. Minako almost jumped for joy when she heard the news. Then she stopped herself and thought.

Either the killer managed to get himself out of the TV… or someone else went in to apprehend him. There was no logical reason for the killer to leave himself; the TV was a hiding place supposedly nobody knew about. He wouldn't want to leave. That could only mean that there were others that knew about the world inside of the television. And they knew how to leave.

Minako needed to find these people.

.

"Wow, what a great spread! I've never seen so many pieces of fatty tuna!" Adachi cried out at the Dojima's dinner table, savoring the taste of his delicious food. Currently the Amadas, minus Koro-chan, were guests in the Dojima home. The man himself graciously invited them over, as they couldn't allow the teenagers to starve on their own.

"If you're gonna have a celebration, you can't do it halfway!" Dojima let out a hearty laugh, his second beer curled in his fist.

"Oh? What are we celebrating?" Minako poked her head, seated next to Adachi. Ken was on her either side by Nanako, helping her with her chopsticks.

"Right here! Check this out." He cried out, pointing to the TV which was playing the same news story it was doing all weekend.

"'I didn't care who it was.' 'I was pissed off.' 'I wanted to be famous.' The suspect was often heard saying these things… The young suspect has confessed to being the culprit behind the recent cases, but he's shown no remorse so far."

Minako scoffed inwardly. For those petty reasons, he just decided to up and kill three people? Pathetic scum. But she couldn't say this outloud. Instead, she went with this.

"So it's finally over. Now the town will be as quiet and peaceful as I heard it to be." She said with a smile, though her pessimistic side was cringing on the inside.

In the corner of her eye, she noticed Adachi sighing.

"Yeah ….it's really over." He sighed again.

"Something wrong?" Minako asked quietly while the others were in deep conversation.

"Huh?" Adachi was caught off guard. "Oh, it's nothing…."

"You can tell me."

"Um… well…." He seemed hesitant. "This is horrible thing for me to say as a detective but … I kinda wish it wasn't over."

Minako looked back at him quizzically. "What do you mean?"

"I kinda liked the excitement of it all. Before this case, the biggest one I got in Inaba was getting the mayor's cat out of a tree."

"…. I see what you mean." She guessed it was kinda true that the murder case brought a lot of excitement with it. And the gossipers had a field day with this kind of activity around. She didn't know the ton well enough before the case, but from what she heard it sounded like it was pretty dead.

"See Minako-chan? You're a city girl, right? There's nothing to do in this town!" Adachi added.

"You're right about that." She agreed. "But it does have a certain charm…"

Adachi smiled back at her. His smile seemed very warm and inviting. Having to hide her age and mingle with teenagers was harder than it seemed. So having a conversation with an adult like Adachi was a breath of fresh air. It didn't even matter that they had a seven year age difference. Though in his mind, it was more like eleven. But Minako felt like she had made a friend in Adachi.

His smile shown brightly. "It certainly does…"

.

Minako got roped into working at Junes for the week. She felt incredibly bad for her 'senpai' who was frantically searching for last minute replacements. Besides, it paid that bills that Minako didn't want to force onto Mitsuru. And it definitely passed the time.

Everything started off well enough on the first day. The second day was okay. Then all hell broke loose. Minako wasn't particularly sure what happened. Maybe it was Chie's hunger madness when she was denied her meat break. Maybe it was Teddie's costume catching on fire. Why would he choose to cook in that suit in the first place? Either way, shit hit the fan.

Somewhere along the way, Minako got wind of a festival the shrine was having at the end of the week. Chie and Yosuke invited the three of them, plus Koromaru, to join them and she kindly accepted. She knew Koromaru always felt close to home when it came to shrines. He would definitely appreciate it. And she always needed a reason to get Ken to socialize. The boy was close to becoming a hermit. It was hard to believe he was popular at school.

As the group was leaving Junes after their final day of work, Chie pulled Minako aside.

"Stop by Yukiko's place before the festival. Her mom has yukatas for us!" She whispered in hushed excitement.

Ah, yukatas. The last time she wore one was almost four years ago, also at a summer festival at the Iwatodai shrine. The SEES gang all went together at Aigis' earnest request. It wasn't until about a year later that Akihiko admitted that he was too nervous to ask her to the festival by himself, even though he wanted to so badly. Minako thought it was just the cutest thing to see a big, strong man like him shy, nervous and blushing. Now that they had been together for so long, that was not the case anymore. If anything, it was the opposite. Akihiko did anything he could to get a blush on Minako's face. Especially in public. Oh the things he did ….. were too inappropriate to put into this story. The author's getting lazy, people.

Needless to say, the next day, Minako sent Ken and Koromaru to the festival with Yu that afternoon as Chie picked her up to take her to Yukiko's. The yukata Yukiko's mother handed her was gorgeous. It was a white pattern with beautiful embroidered flowers all over. Orange, her favorite color. The obi sash was a tame peach color that complimented the orange quite nicely. She only wished she had Aki around to show him….

The other girls gushed over how beautiful they each looked. Nanako was probably the happiest of them all. She just simply enjoyed being included in these kinds of events.

They arrived just in time to make a grand entrance. Each boy's jaws dropped. Poor Kanji couldn't even look at them directly. Chie whispered to Yukiko; something about giving Kanji a nosebleed. Poor, poor Kanji….

"Sorry we're late!" Chie apologized, but for the guys it as definitely worth the wait. Nanako stumbled a bit as she walked.

"It's kind of hard to walk in…"

Her big bro simply smiled and smoothly said, "You look cute in it."

The little girl giggled, her face turning red. Then Teddie said something highly inappropriate that Minako decided to tune out.

Rise asked Yu a seemingly innocent question. "How do we look?"

Rise's crush on her senpai was so incredibly obvious that even the most oblivious person in the world, which would probably be Junpei, could see it from miles away. Yu was smart enough to say just exactly what she wanted to hear.

"You look amazing, Rise." The young girl squealed, attaching herself onto the boy's arm and refusing to let go. Yosuke gravitated more to Chie, surprisingly enough considering how much they argue. Coincidentally they follow the theory Minako briefly had about Junpei and Yukari before promptly tossing it out the window.

Teddie complimented Yukiko and asked the same thing he always did (Can I score with you?) and rightfully earned a kick to the shin, which was almost impossible for her to do in her yukata. Kanji refused to meet anyone's eye in hopes to hide his blush. It didn't work.

Minako and Ken stood to the side, simply enjoying their friends' company. Koromaru was freed from his leash, trusted enough to wander on his own for a bit. He was familiar enough with the area that he no longer needed a leash. And of course, Minako and Ken knew that he would always return to them.

Ken turned to Minako, hiding a tiny blush.

"…. You look very pretty, Minako-san." He spoke in a hushed tone so that no one would hear. "I'm sure Akihiko-senpai would love to see you right now."

She smiled back. "Thank you, Ken-kun."

The beautiful little moment they had was promptly ruined by Teddie's shouting.

"We gotta go two-by-two!"

Everyone looked at each other quizzically. "Two-by-two?"

"See, I've been thinking. It's the summer, you're wearing yukatas, and we're at the festival. It's mjust wrong for guys and girls to walk around in a huge group like this. We should couple up!" Teddie announced whimsically.

Kanji stammered. "Wh-hat the hell are you babblin' about?"

There was an awkward silence that had befallen the group until Rise broke it.

"I'm with Teddie!" Everyone's shocked faces turned toward her. "C'mon, Senpai… why wear yukatas in the first place? So we have memories we can remember fondly, right?"

When she put it that way…..

They decided to go with numbered chopsticks. Ken and Nanako counted themselves out as the little girl was awaiting her father's arrival. Ken decided to wait with her and then find Koromaru to leave. The hermit wanted to crawl back to his cave.

Minako got the stick with the number 3. Lo and behold, her partner was…

.

The first person who reviews this chapter gets to choose Minako's partner for the evening.

Why? Because I can go either way with this. It can be hilarity, some slight romantic fluff (but not really cuz she had Aki), or serious plot developing stuff. Meh, I say screw the serious stuff. I kinda feel like writing fluff.


	24. A Stroll With Yu

Wow, it was a unanimous vote! Well then, her partner is...

.

…. Yu Narukami. Minako was secretly hoping to be paired with him. Not for any romantic reasons, mind you. Remember Akihiko. Mr. Narukami was definitely the ringleader of whatever it was they were doing in terms of their secret investigation. Maybe some kind of vigilante detective work.

Rise whined. Of course she wanted to walk alongside her beloved Senpai. She begrudgingly took Kanji's offered arm, who was secretly glad to be paired with the idol. (AN: Secretly one of my favorite pairings) She was one of the few girls he felt comfortable enough with. Yukiko and Yosuke were the next pairing, and Chie and Teddie were the last. Following Teddie's rules, each pairing went their separate ways. Teddie went straight for the candy apples. Chie basically felt like it was less of a 'date' and more of a babysitting job. Rise pulled Kanji off to the romance fortunes, where she magnificently pulled a 'great luck' scroll. Kanji was not as lucky. Yosuke was just happy to be paired with an actual girl. Knowing his unlucky fortune, he probably would've gotten one of the guys.

Yu followed Kanji's example and offered his arm, which Minako gladly accepted. The two waved goodbye to Ken and Nanako and set off. Unsure of where their journey would take them, they decided to start by giving their offerings and making their wishes at the head of the shrine. Clapping her hands together, she wished for many things. Ken and Koromaru's safety, a new lead on their case, and a wish to Akihiko soon. There was never a moment that she didn't think of him. How she wished she was on his arm. But Yu was okay too. He was one of the more respectful guys of their group. First it was him, then Kanji, Yosuke was nice too, but Teddie was dead last.

"What did you wish for?" Yu asked her after she was done praying. Deciding to leave out the last two, she told him she wished for her family's safety. When she asked him the same question, he replied with this.

"To be closer with you." Wow that came out smoothly. Yu was more dangerous than Minako thought.

"You do remember I have a boyfriend, right?"

Yu laughed. "Not just you. I wished to be closer with everyone. It's been a long time since I had a group of friends like these. I just want us to have happy memories together."

Aw, that was actually really sweet. Minako decided to forego the interrogation in favor of getting to know him better. They strolled leisurely around the festival, just talking mostly. She learned a lot about him that evening. Yu was a transfer student whose parents had to move around constantly for work. After they found jobs overseas, they decided to have him live in Inaba, his mother's hometown, for the next year until they came back. Before then, Yu had to constantly transfer from school to school and he never stayed in one place for too long. That, along with his quiet personality, made it difficult for him to make friends and keep them. The friends he made in Inaba were probably the longest lasting friendships to date.

"That's so sad though. To think you've been alone all this time." Minako commented. With the distinction of his overworking parents, the story Yu told her was so incredibly similar to her own. Her parents died when she was so young, so she was constantly moving from place to place and never made friends. She has SEES to thank for breaking her lonely streak, just as Yu had his own Inaba friends. The similarities were uncanny.

"It was worth the wait." Yu looked over to see his friends scattered about. Yosuke managed to win Yukiko a stuffed gorilla, whose face had her snorting. Teddie was stealing a bite of Chie's corn, while Rise was dragging Kanji around. These were his beloved friends.

"Yeah." Minako agreed, thinking back to her own saviors. If they were here now… Junpei and Yukari would probably be arguing about something meaningless, but they'd just laugh it off a few seconds later. Fuuka would be sampling the food, thinking of ways to 'improve' the flavors. Mitsuru would be babysitting Aigis, of course, who would take the whole festival with a childish wonder. And Akihiko would be the one escorting her….

"It really was worth it."

Minako felt a new connection to Yu. She no longer saw him as a troublemaker to her case. He was simply human. He was her Inaba counterpart, her new friend. They all were her new friends. And they needed her protection from whatever mess they were getting themselves into.

.

Yeah, I could've gone serious, but I couldn't think of anything. This chapter is really short, because I only wanted it to be about the date. I will try to make up for it in the next chapter. Or I could write other festival dates….. no, hard. I would love to read a date between Minako and Yosuke, since I feel like Yosuke doesn't get that much love (except with YuYosuke fics but I'm thinking more female love) but I don't think I could come up with anything good. So the next chapter will follow along with the plot. If anyone else wants to take the festival date challenge, be my guest. Feel free to use whichever pairing you'd like and any combination, and it's not limited to just Minako pairings. I would love to read these if anyone does it.


	25. Philosophical Beach Bums

To akahana28, I'm very sorry, but I am keeping Minako loyal to Akihiko. There will, however, be a one-sided love interest, but I can't say who because you will most likely be disappointed. BTW, I found a drawing of an older Minako if she was in P4Arena. Exactly how I envision Minako in this fic. Fanfiction, of course, won't show the link. If you want to see then try searching Minako Arisato Arena on deviantART.

This chapter focuses on the beach event in P4Golden.

Now onto the story.

.

"You know…. I'm starting to get nervous." Yosuke shifted his feet, kicking the sand. Yu, Teddie, Yosuke and Ken stood on the hot sand, awaiting the girls who were changing into their swimsuits. Ken, possibly the most innocent of them all, looked curiously at Yosuke.

"What do you mean?" He asked curiously, cocking his head to the side.

"We're at the ocean. Which means swimsuits. Which means, Risette live and in person! What are the ramifications here….? Am I using my lifetime supply of luck with this?" Yosuke wondered to himself. It was a plausible question. The boy was incredibly unlucky, after all.

"Risette? But you've already seen Rise-san live and in person…." Ken pointed out, not getting the boy's statement. Before Yosuke could answer, he found exactly what he was looking for and then some. Standing before them was not just Risette, live and in a swimsuit, but four beautiful girls in bikini-style swimsuits. Each one of them, excluding the chill and relaxed Rise, were incredibly embarrassed with their exposed bodies. Even Minako, though an adult, felt unsettled under the teenage boys' hungry eyes.

"Where's Kanji?" Rise asked, looking around while Teddie was getting his perv on, going on and on about how he was surrounded by mermaids.

"I bet he's still worn out." Yosuke answered. "Riding all that way on a bike really did a number on him."

Poor Kanji. Both Kanji and Teddie followed them out here with merely a bicycle and roller blades as transportation. And Teddie, yet again, wore his bear costume there. It was really strange in Minako's eyes. He seemed obsessed with wearing that suit. Ken was just lucky that Minako's motorcycle came with a sidecar or that would've been him too. It did feel a little silly riding in it though. Many drivers honked and giggled at the sight.

"Oh! There is he is now…!" Minako was speechless. Kanji walked out onto the beach….in a black speedo. Now Minako was not unfamiliar with this scene. Actually, she was incredibly familiar. Before they dated and Minako convinced him to buy a pair of swim trunks, Akihiko wore exactly the same kind of speedo on their trip to Yakushima. It put a blush on every single girl's face then and it did the same now. Innocent Yukiko couldn't even look at him.

Minako tried so hard to contain her laughter.

"Dude…." Yosuke growled. "…What the hell is that?!"

"What's what?" Kanji asked obliviously. Minako's muffled laughter grew louder.

"Your swimsuit…" Ken has seen things he can't unsee. Kanji still didn't get it.

"My swimsuit..? It's your basic black."

"I'm seeing things I never needed to see! My eyes are burning!" Yosuke screamed out, describing Ken's inner thoughts exactly.

While Yosuke, Kanji and even Rise verbally battled out the clash of the swimsuits, the others decided to jump into the water to avoid the fight. Teddie clung to his water tube with his life, since the bear maniac couldn't swim on his own. Yukiko wasn't as good of a swimmer either, so Yu was practicing with her. Minako and Ken got the beachball out and soon, the group divided into teams for a few rounds of water volleyball.

It was boys versus girls. Teddie sat out, not knowing the rules of the game so he just decided to keep score. In reality, he was just scoring every victory in favor of the girls. Not that the girls needed outside help to win. They were seriously crushing the guys. After a sore comment Yosuke said about Chie's…..underdeveloped bust, she got fired up to pound the boys into the sand. And she did.

"Woohoo! Victory to Team Girl! Again!" She cheered high fiving her teammates. On the other side of their imaginary net, the boys brooded. In their team huddle, Yu was giving the boys a pep talk.

"This is not a game anymore. This is test."

"A test…?" None of the three understood his words.

"This is a test on our manhood. Failure is no longer an option." Yu said as serious as serious can be. If that was a manga, the boys would've sweatdropped. But it wasn't. This was …*cough cough* … real life.

Needless to say, the last match of the day ended in a final victory for the girls. The boys hung their heads low in shame. Goodbye, manhood. Hello, humility.

.

"Why don't we take a break?" Yukiko let out with an exhausted smile on her face. It was still the afternoon so they had plenty of time to relax under the sun before they left. Rise and Minako nodded their heads in agreement.

"I need to put on more sunscreen."

"Gotta take a break to slake with steak!" Chie chimed in.

"Steak? I'm more in the mood for watermelon…. We should've brought some." Minako thought aloud.

The girls made their way to where the chairs and towels were set up only find a sight of the strangest sorts. It was Kanji, wrapped in seaweed covering his….private parts and chest area.

It was the Birth of Venus.

"….What am I supposed to say to this?" Chie asked herself. Minako could only say one thing.

"You sicko!" And the girls scattered, leaving Yosuke, Yu, Ken, and especially Kanji utterly humiliated.

.

Ignoring the whole 'Venus' fiasco, the day ended on high note. The girls, minus Minako plus Teddie and Ken, were digging in the sand as the sun was setting. Watching them from the boardwalk, Yosuke, Yu, Kanji and Minako rested.

"Pretty busy day…" Yosuke mentioned, reminiscing on the memories they made today.

"I'm still itchy…." Kanji moaned. The guys were comfortable enough to explain to Minako that Kanji's reenactment was merely covering up an unfortunate wardrobe malfunction. Minako snickered the entire time. That's what he got for wearing a teeny tiny speedo.

"At least we had laugh over it in the end, right? And we found your swimsuit too." Yosuke added with his usual wink while Minako giggled in the background.

"Still…." Kanji changed his irritated tone. "I never woulda come to the beach if you hadn't invited me. So I guess I want to….thank you, I guess." He shyly rubbed the back of his head.

"You're….welcome?" Yosuke seemed taken aback. The brazen freshman never thanked him for anything. And why would he thank him for today? Kanji embarrassed himself in front of everyone partly because of Yosuke. "What brought that on?"

"I guess the beach did." Kanji said, leaning against the railing while staring out into the sea. "I look at that big ocean out there and think, man, why keep hanging onto all this embarrassment? Just let it go. You guys taught me that. So….thanks."

"Wow Kanji. That's so mature of you." Minako admired. Kanji blushed at the female's attention.

"'s nothing….."

Yosuke ruined Kanji's little moment. "So you don't deny it was embarrassing, do you?"

Instead of pounding him into the boardwalk like the old Kanji Tatsumi would've done, they all simply laughed. A little ways off, the girls were playing in the sand with Teddie and Ken. Chie was trying to start contest after contest with the prize of steak skewers, which Rise denied. Teddie, of course, offered a smooch as prize, which made Ken back away slowly from him. Yukiko suggested burying Teddie in the side, and everyone automatically agreed, laughing.

"Good times never last long." Yosuke blurted out. He sounded like a wise old man instead of the teenager that he was. "I wonder if our high school days will end that way too…"

Minako was quietly contemplating what to say. Eventually, she settled for the truth.

"Everything has to end."

The boys' heads turned. They each shared the same expression on their face. Like she told them Santa Clause didn't exist. She tried to change her words.

"Nothing really lasts forever, but we need to make the time that we do have count."

Their faces relaxed. She was right after all.

"Way to go all deep and philosophical on us, Minako-chan! And to think you're younger than us!" Yosuke teased. Minako nervously laughed it off, deciding to change the subject by calling out to the others on the sand.

"Hey! It's about time to go home, so dig out Teddie!"

They each let out a collective 'Awwwwww'.

.


	26. Investigation Is Going Nowhere People

To the mystery reviewer only known to us as Guest, I have no comment about your sickening feeling. I can only reassure you that I don't have the heart the heart to write rapists. Remember, this story is only rated T.

To Roxas Sandwich, thank you for the compliment. I adore Ken as well. Both as a little brother figure and as a love interest, I feel it could work either way. By the way, I've noticed most of your fics are in Indonesian, but you seem to have a good grasp of the English language as well. Perhaps you may translate some of your KH and Persona fics so that I may fall in love with them as well? Just a thought. I'm just very curious to read.

I've actually been thinking about writing a future fic (not set in the same universe as this fic) where Minako wakes up from the seal and has Akihiko, older!Ken and alive!Shinjiro fighting for her affections. And hey, to make matters even more fun, I may as well throw in P4 characters into the reverse harem too. Assuming I write it. The more I talk about it, the more interested I am about it.

And hey, akahana28 maybe you'd be interested in the whole love octagon. Not a love triangle. Love octagon.

Sorry for the long note. Now onto the story.

.

*RING Your affection Your affection Taking pride from fear  
Past will tell you when to make yourself a hero RING*

It was seven AM.

Seven fricken AM.

*RING Your affection Your affection Your affection  
Past will tell you when to make yourself a hero RING*

"Augh!" Minako groaned into her pillow before blindly reaching out for the cellphone on her nightstand. Clumsily grabbing at the air before her hand even touched the table, she felt around for the item in question. Hearing something hit the floor, she groaned even louder. Now she actually had to get out of bed. All the while the phone continued to ring.

Reluctantly leaving the cocoon of blankets, she left the bed to gather her cellphone, clicking the answer button.

"Hello?" She answered groggily.

"That took longer than expected. I expect better than that, Arisato."

"…..Mitsuru….."

Oh crap. They hadn't spoken in so long. Minako should've sent her a status report ages ago. Not to mention the fact that the last time they spoke, Minako was still bitter over being denied permission to explore the TV world.

"Listen, Mitsuru….. I wanted to apologize…."

"It's okay, Minako. I understood you were simply frustrated."

"But that doesn't excuse my behavior. You're my friend and I don't want to alienate my friend."

"…..Thank you." Wow, Minako could practically hear her blush.

Onto the business talk.

"I'm sorry to report that there has been no new activity on the case. The murderer has been caught, but the Shadow activity is still off the charts. I'm afraid that unless we can explore the other world, we won't get anywhere with this investigation."

"I'm aware of that. I've contacted Yamagishi, however she is currently caught with prior engagements and is unable to travel to Inaba. And I'm afraid my abilities aren't up to par with hers anymore."

"Dammit! At this rate, Ken and I will grow old right here and the case still won't be done." Minako let out a frustrated sigh.

"Minako…. If you wish to return to Iwatodai, I can arrange it."

What? What was saying? Did she want to abandon the operation?

"No way. Ken and I started this and we're going to finish it. Even if I have to graduate high school twice."

" Hmmh." Mitsuru muffled a giggle. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that."

*DING DONG*

"Sorry Mitsuru, it looks like I got a visitor. I'll talk to you soon."

"Please take care of yourself, Minako."

"You too. Bye."

She ended the call and rushed downstairs to open the door, forgetting she was still in her pajamas. The sun blinded her a bit when she opened the door so she couldn't exactly see her unexpected visitor. She did recognize the voice.

"Minako-san?"

It was her neighbor, Yu. Her visions slowly cleared so she could see his face. It looked a little red….

"Are you blushing?"

Unlike his usual self, Yu seemed to be a little tongue-tied.

"Well you're um ….. you're wearing….."

Wearing? Huh? She looked down only to realize his dilemma. Trying to beat the heat, Minako opted to sleep in nothing but tiny shorts and a skimpy tank top. Just her luck.

"Shit." She cursed before shrugging her shoulders. Nothing she could do about it now. "Sorry, Yu. What's up?"

"Well, um... Rise wanted me to invite everyone out to the fireworks festival tonight. I was wondering if you and Ken-kun would be interested." Yu sputtered out, looking everywhere except at Minako. She resisted the urge to giggle. Teenage boys were so innocent.

"I'm game for it, but Ken's already going with his soccer friends."

"Okay, then I'll pick you up later this evening."

"Sounds good." Minako smiled. They said their goodbyes with a promise to meet outside her door at 6:30. After Minako closed the door behind him, she went straight back to bed. She had over ten hours until the festival, after all. Why not get a few more hours of sleep?

.

"Ooh! The crowd's pretty thin here! Nice pick Yukiko-san." Yosuke called out, having been the first to climb up the stairs to the clearing ahead. Behind him in order were Chie, Kanji, Yu, Yukiko, Minako and in dead last, Rise who just barely made it before collapsing onto the ground.

"No more encores…" Which in Rise terms meant she was dead to the world. Well, this was as good a place as any to set up the blanket. Minako unraveled the large blanket from her tote bag and laid it out on the grass for everyone to sit on.

"Hey, good thinking." Yu said as he and Kanji managed to drag Rise off the itchy grass and onto the soft, inviting blanket.

"Yeah, if we only we brought some bentos…." Chie spoke offhandedly. "Mmmmhhmmm, or a picnic basket full of meat."

It's always about meat with her. She sounded like a carnivorous animal. Speaking of animals, where was Teddie? Minako could've sworn he was ahead of the pack with Yosuke. When she asked him, Yosuke mentioned something about revenge for whatever it was he did at the Hanamura breakfast table that morning. When Teddie came around to the clearing, even Minako felt a twinge of pity. Poor Teddie, always in his bear suit, was quite literally as fat as a pancake. When asked what it was that made him this way, he only mentioned a single name.

"Hanako…. Ohtani….."

Minako remained clueless while everyone else prayed for the safe return of Teddie's fluffy fur.

"Big bro!" A voice called out from behind. Realizing it was Nanako, Teddie ran off to change out of his now crushed bearsuit.

"Hey Nanako-chan! Looks like Dojima-san made it in time." Chie called out, thankful that the Dojimas could join them today.

"I almost didn't. I didn't quite finish my paperwork, but I figured Adachi could handle the rest." Dojima explained. Poor Adachi….

And lo and behold, shiny sparkly human Teddie popped out of nowhere, creepily hitting on Nanako. That, in turn caused an uproar among most of the teens who begged Teddie to shut his mouth in front of Dojima. Kanji's ears picked up on the sound of people cheering from far below.

"Sounds like it's heating up down there."

"Does that mean it'll be starting soon?" Yukiko's question as answered by the first bang of the fireworks show, which startled Nanako's sensitive ears. She shut her eyes in fright, but with a comforting pat on her shoulder from her big bro, she opened one eye and saw a beautiful array of colors light up the sky.

Instead of watching the show in the sky, Minako enjoyed the pure expressions on the teens' faces. It wasn't that long ago that she herself held that childlike wonder. How the time flies.

While she was watching the teens, she and Dojima made eye contact. He was also watching the teens in a state of nostalgia. He nodded to her, as did she. He seemed to share the exact same thought.

'How the time flies.'

.

"Oh yeah… should we have asked that kid to come with us today?" Kanji wondered aloud after Dojima left with a sleepy Nanako.

"Kid? What kid?" Minako asked, unsure of who he was talking about. Did he mean Ken-kun?

"Uh, well….." Kanji got a little pink-faced. Before Kanji could start stuttering like an embarrassed schoolgirl, Yu finished his thought for him.

"You mean Naoto Shirogane?"

"Oh, him." Yosuke mumbled in recognition.

"Who?" Minako seemed to be the only person who didn't know Naoto Shirogane.

"He's the boy detective. We met him a little while back."

Rise, who'd regained consciousness a while ago, nodded her head solemnly. "I said some harsh things to him last time….. I'd hate to leave it like that…"

"You know," Chie started. "I remember him saying something that sounded pretty sad….."

"Really? Like what?"

"Like, after a case is done, the police don't need him anymore… he sounded like he was pretty lonely."

"Yeah, that does sound lonely….." Yukiko said softly, looking down at the ground. Everyone's expressions changed from happy to sad all at once. They all regretted the way they left things with Naoto. They did technically work on the same case together after all. In a way, they were the same.

Of course, Minako didn't know that. Nevertheless, she spoke the first thing that came to her mind.

"Why not just befriend him?"

"Huh?" was the collective word of the group. Minako explained herself.

"Well, Rise said herself that she felt bad for treating him harshly. Why not just play nice with him? Say you're sorry."

"We…. We wouldn't even know where to start."

"I just said it. Say you're sorry for whatever it was you said. You obviously feel bad right?" Rise nodded her head. "Then there's your answer. If you didn't feel bad, there's no reason for his name to pop into your heads. But you guys obviously think about him. Don't think of it as a pity friendship or anything like that. Just….be nice."

"She's right you guys." Yu backed her up. "We can at least do that much."

"He did help us out a teensy bit." Yukiko thought a bit.

"Not to mention he's not that bad looking of a guy. The girls would have a field day with him."

"Oh damn, you're right. He'd need people backing him up then."

"Then it's settled. Operation: Make Naoto Shirogane Feel Right Home is in effect!"

.

Blegh I don't like the ending but I had to stop it somewhere.


	27. Naoto Makes His Appearance

Sorry for the long break. Here's a chapter to make up for it!

.

For their first day back from summer vacation, Yu and Minako chose to walk to school together. It made sense, considering they ended up leaving their houses at the same time and would end up at the same location regardless.

On the inside, Minako was cursing. It was now fall semester and she should have been preparing for her university classes by now. The case was taking so much longer than expected and they were getting nowhere. Minako and Ken needed a breakthrough and fast.

"Mornin!" Chie ran up to them, Yukiko trailing behind her.

"Good morning."

"Summer vacation's over already." Chie sighed. Minako sighed too. She wasted so much time with her new high school friends that she should've spent on the investigation.

"Yo." Yosuke called out. "I got lost on my way here."

"The break wasn't that long, dude." Yu chided him. The group gathered together, making idle chit chat as they walked to the gates. What waited for them there, however, froze all conversation.

"Good morning."

There he was. Naoto Shiroghane, boy detective, in the flesh. Minako recognized him walking around Junes. Still, she had to make sure.

"Are you the ….pint-sized detective?" That sure got his otherwise stone cold face all flustered and pink.

"I beg your pardon?! My name is Naoto. Please, don't give people bizarre nicknames you make up on the spot." He chastised her. She apologized quickly, his strict and proper speaking getting to her.

"Um…." Yukiko mumbled, making herself known. "You know this is a high school, right?"

Now that Minako thought about it, why was he here? He was supposed to be a detective wasn't he? And he was wearing a school uniform too….

Mr. Naoto seemed downtrodden. "My cooperation with the police has come to an end. However, there are aspects of the case with which I remained unconvinced."

His prim way of speaking reminded Minako of Mitsuru. He must have had a proper upbringing.

"There are some family-related issues as well, so for the time being I will be staying in town. From today forth, I will be a first-year at your high school."

Wait, what? Did she hear that right? Everyone seemed to have the exact thought as her. This detective guy was a freshman? He had to be playing with them. Just like she was with them…. But it wasn't impossible.

"I trust our relations will be cordial, Senpai."

.

They called Minako out to hang out with them after school.

"Hey, we're stopping by Junes later, right? Why don't we ask Naoto-kun to join us?" Yukiko asked, embracing the whole 'Befriend Naoto' plan.

"Hmmm….." Yosuke had his thinking face on. "If you think about it, he's a transfer student like us, right? We gotta give him the ol' welcome wagon."

"Oh, speak of the devil. There he is."

And he was surrounded by two other freshman girls who had the same idea as they did.

"You dunno the area, right? C'mon we'll show you around." The girl with the conniving smile said, taking a step closer.

"There's probably tons of places to hang out that only we'd know about." The other girl took her friend's example.

"That won't be necessary." He spoke with the same cold voice. "I'm not interesting in 'hanging out', nor am I interesting in you two."

Ouch, that was harsh. The girls didn't seem to take it well, either. They took a step closer, surrounding him into a corner. Out of concern for his safety and just plain kindness, Yosuke decided to rescue him.

"Yo, Naoto-kun, how's it going?" He stepped forward, making himself known. He left the girls stuttering, and at the exact same time, Kanji walked by, scaring them further. Like the chickens they were, they ran away. Sighing a breath of relief he didn't know he had, Naoto thanked his saviors.

"Naoto-kun, if you're not doing anything after school, wanna come with us?"

"Come with … you mean me?" He asked with a flabbergasted look on his face. Guess he didn't get out much. "…..Perhaps another time. I have some things to mull over."

"Things to mull over?" Rise asked.

"I must go straight home today. I promised my Grampa so."

"Oh, well… that's okay. Let's hang out another time, okay?"

He nodded in response.

.

"Isn't the class trip soon?" Yosuke asked, finally switching the conversation away from Naoto-s blown high school debut. "Um…where are we going anyway?"

"Tatsumi Port Island."

Minako almost spit out her soda. She didn't, but she did choke a bit. Kanji had to pat her back just so she could breath.

"Dude, you okay?!"

"Yeah erm… I'm fine. Just went down the wrong pipe I guess….."

"Tatsumi Port Island huh? I did tons of photo shoots there. Just beyond Moonlight Bridge, yeah?" Rise asked. Minako's eyes lowered to the ground at the mention of that forsaken place. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore and got up abruptly from her seat.

"I need to go!" Without even thinking of any explanation, she just ran. The Investigation Team stared at her running figure.

"…..That was weird."

.

"Ken! Ken! You better be here!" She screamed out as soon as she opened the door. Ken popped his head out from the living room.

"Minako-san? What's wrong?" He asked worriedly.

"The Yasogami school trip is in Tatsumi Port Island."

"….fuck."

And that was the first time she heard Ken curse.

She was so screwed.

.

I really just needed to get this chapter out of the way to introduce Naoto to the school and the trip itself. To anyone in the US, happy Memorial Day. To anyone reading this on May 26, happy birthday to me! Woo.


	28. Close Encounters of the Iwatodai Kind

Behind the school gates laid the familiar Gekkoukan High School. Minako's alma mater. Oh, the fond memories she had of the school. This was the place where everything began. Her unbreakable friendships with the disbanded SEES. Her bonds with so many of her fellow students. Not to mention the whole 'school turning to a shadow nest' during the hidden hour nobody knew about. Oh, so many wonderful memories.

Minako had always wanted to come back. She just didn't expect it to be under these circumstances. Speaking of which…..

"Um… Minako-chan?"

"Yes, Yosuke-senpai?"

"I don't really know how to say this but … what's up with your hair?"

Abandoning her trademark hairpins, Minako tried to hide her face the only way she could without the suspicious black cap and sunglasses that Ken suggested. Her hair was truly a mess, her usual coifed locks now almost completely in her face. But hey, at least it was hidden, right?

"Oh, my hair…? Um, bad hair day I guess…..haha." She awkwardly laughed trying to hide her nerves. In reality, Minako was terrified. If her cover was blown here, it would compromise the entire investigation. Suspicions would be raised. Questions would be asked. Why would a university student pose as a high schooler? What was she really doing in Inaba? Those kinds of questions.

Of course she didn't want to be here. Hell, she practically begged Mitsuru to find some way out of this for her. But Mitsuru would not relent. She claimed that if Minako missed an event like this than she may as well miss her chance of finding any vital information from the group of high school students she deemed suspicious. Dammit, Minako hated when she was right.

"And now we have a student representative to welcome you to Gekkoukan High."

"Thank you, Principal."

Minako recognized the new face that appeared. Straight brown hair that had grown out quite a lot in the past two years. A pair of glasses perched at the tip of her nose. The black winter uniform with the red bow tied perfectly. This girl was Chihiro Fushimi, who was a year below Minako and worked alongside her as the treasurer of the Student Council. There was no doubt that Chihiro wouldn't be able to recognize her.

"It's an honor to meet you all today." Chihiro welcomed them all.

"Holy crap, she's incredible….." Yosuke gushed in a hushed tone.

"Yeah, you're right…." A blush was forming on Kanji's face. "She is cute …."

Did these guys ever stop thinking about girls in that way?

If memory served right, at some point Chihiro had a phobia of men. And yet here she was as the Student Council President. She looked each and every student in the eye, regardless of gender, and spoke clearly and calmly. Chihiro has definitely stepped up her game.

"This is the first time our school has invited another student body for a true cultural exchange. To learn about others is to learn about oneself, and is the first step on the road to self-betterment… This I believe. To ensure a worthwhile experience for each and every one of you, we will do our best to help you accomplish that. So let us enjoy our time together! Thank you very much."

"Wow …." Was the unanimous reaction of the student body.

"Alright everyone, get into groups!" The teachers called out, allowing the students to disperse into their own cluster of friends. Minako began to migrate to Yu and the others but immediately stopped in her tracks. They were far too close to Chihiro. Minako had to stay as far away as she could. She walked up to the nearest group of students and pretended to blend in, keeping her back facing Chihiro.

"Um, excuse me … could I bother you for a moment?" She heard Chihiro's distinctive voice from afar. She couldn't tell who she was speaking to but wouldn't dare to move in fear of being recognized.

"I forgot to hand out the day's schedule. Would you mind?"

"Not at all." She recognized Yu's voice.

"Sorry to be so disorganized …. And you came so far…"

Their voices were getting clearer and louder. Were they coming towards her way?

"…Arisato-senpai?"

Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit. Calm down Minako. Just don't turn your head. Don't even so much as flinch. No reaction whatsoever. Arisato? Who is that? There is nobody here of that name. She must obviously be mistaken.

"Arisato? Who is that?" Chie asked, their previous conversation having been interrupted.

"Oh, I'm sorry…. I could've sworn I just saw one of my old senpai…. I guess I was mistaken."

Yes! Homerun! Minako would've done a happy dance except it would've been completely uuncalled for and would only call more unwanted attention onto her.

Now she just had to survive the next two days.

.

What kind of demon came up with this torture? The entire day was full of lectures from all of her old teachers that she had to evade eye contact with and feign ignorance. How many times could she hear 'You just look so familiar' in one day? And of course, she had to deal with her least favorite teacher, Edogawa. This man used a different variant of the same phrase. 'Your aura is very familiar'. Yeah ok. Whatever dude.

Currently, the herd of students was being guided on the streets of Iwatodai by one of the second-year teachers. As they turned onto the next street, Minako began to recognize their location.

Oh. Oh no.

"Alrighty, here we are. The Seaside Clamshell Inn. We'll be staying here tonight."

Was this woman serious? The other students were questioning her claims as well.

"Is this … really a regular hotel…?"

To answer the nameless student's question, no. No this was not. This teacher just had to choose Shirakawa Boulevard for her choice in hotels. And this one in particular …. What were the chances?

"Isn't there something funny about this place …?" Yosuke asked hesitantly once the rest of the students were herded into the hotel.

"Is there? We don't have these modern hotels in Inaba, so I can't tell." Oh Chie. Minako never took her for the innocent type.

How she wanted to scream 'It's a love hotel, you idiots!' at the top of her lungs. But Minako was classier than that. Much too classy.

And she let Rise answer for her.

"Um, this area is called 'Shirakawa Boulevard' and it's-"

"Th-That's okay, Rise-chan!" Minako cut her off. "They really don't need to know."

.

Day two of the trip and Minako actually caught a break. It was their free day so she could avoid the school entirely. Hurrah.

The gang was now roaming the area of Paulownia Mall with Rise as their guide. Minako passed by the many nostalgic sights. The arcade and the infamous crane game that she spent hours in front of trying to win a Jack Frost doll. The famous Chagall Café known for their pheromone coffee. Minako had gone to the Chagall Café in Okina City. It was never the same.

The group stopped in front of Club Escapade. Now this was a location that Minako was very familiar with. She used to sneak in all the time to meet up with a certain monk friend of hers. She was still a teenager at the time, but she was actually very friendly with the bartender so he turned a blind eye and let her pass by from time to time.

"Woah…! So this is a club….!" Kanji squawked in awe.

"Whooo! I'm totally ready for this!" Chie squealed. Obviously, they were not familiar with this kind of environment. The closest to a club in Inaba was the convenience store that changed into a bar during the night. It didn't quite have the same ambiance.

As they wandered around, they stumbled upon a certain pint-sized detective.

"Is it permitted for high school students such as yourselves to be here?"

"Pot calling the kettle black here." Minako chimed in. Naoto hummed, closing his eyes.

"The clientele here seems above-board, so I don't expect there'll be any problems." He said, accepting their appearance at the club before turning his back to leave.

"Huh? You're leaving?"

"Why don't you join us?" Yukiko asked, extending her hand.

Naoto looked back with a sort of dumb-founded expression on his face.

"Are you….asking me to stay?"

"Uh-huh. We didn't get to chat last time."

"You're free now, right?" Rise added. "I was really eager to talk to you. I'm curious how someone my age is working as a detective."

"Hmmm…. Very well, if you insist." Naoto gave in, trying to mask his blush with a grumpy expression.

.

Rise managed to pull some strings and reserved the second floor all for them. Apparently two years ago, she was supposed to have a secret show here but the power went out during the middle of it and it cancelled. Now that Minako thought about it, the times coincided with a certain full moon operation….

"….. Are these liquor?" Yosuke asked, sniffing the glass. Apparently both Teddie and Yukiko were a little red in the face …. and laughing their asses off.

"I-I told them to give us soft drinks! They're non-alcoholic!" Rise exclaimed, but she was acting a little strangely as well. "…. I told them. Really, I did!"

"Aw sheesh….. I was wondering why it was so hot…." Chie sighed. Minako picked up a glass and let the smell waft up to her nose. There was no way in hell this was alcohol. An adult could tell. As could Kanji.

"Is this really booze? But the smell's-"

"King's Gaaaaaaaame!" Rise jumped up from the couch, shouting at the top of her lungs. "Times like this, adults play the King's Game. It's the law…*hiccup*"

Uh oh. This was getting into dangerous territory.

.

Everyone! Quick! Help me think of insane dares for them to do! I wanna lengthen the King's Game before they go into serious case stuff. Sorry about the break in between the chapters. I hit some writer's blockage but I need some inspiring dares for the Persona characters to do! As many as you can think of! Let's ham it up!


	29. Minako Hates The King's Game

In all 19 years of her life, Minako had never played the King's Game before.

Soon she will wish she never did.

"Kanji!" The drunken idol screeched. "Get the chopsticks ready!"

The freshman grumbled before getting up, coming back a couple minutes later with chopsticks and a black marker.

"Kanji! Write the numbers on the chopsticks!"

"Sheesh! I'm doin' it already!"

"The King's word is law! Chop-chop!"

Minako sighed. What was she getting herself into?

The chopsticks were being dealt. They were passed around from Yu down to Chie. It finally came to Minako. Her hand was twitching in anticipation. One wrong move and she was over.

She got the chopstick with the number two.

"Whoo!" Teddie jumped from his seat in joy. "Teddie is the King!"

Yeah, they were screwed.

"I, the King, command number three to smooch the King without delay!"

"Gyaaaaaah!" A screech of horror left someone's mouth. Who was it? It was Kanji. Teddie looked at him, then turned his head away.

"I meant number two…."

Minako panicked. "No take-backs!" She screamed.

"Smooch, smoooooooooch!" A drunken Yukiko cheered. As Teddie was also somewhat 'inebriated', he simply shrugged his shoulders and pounced.

"Woah! Ow, quit it! Don't make me flatten you, dammit!"

Poor Kanji.

Only the first round and two contestants have dropped out already. Minako was pretty sure that wasn't how the game worked, but if Rise said so then it was law. It was now on to round two. With Kanji and Teddie incapacitated the pickings were slim, but Minako narrowly escaped humiliation. Miss Chie Satonaka was crowned King during round two. Her victim? Mister Yosuke Hanamura, of course.

"Wa-wait wait wait! This is just-!" Yosuke tried to resist, but it was no use. Chie commanded Yu to hold him down while the girls proceeded to tickle his bare feet. Yosuke giggled, cackled, and eventually screamed. Minako wasn't going to lie. It was really fun.

Minako was having even more fun when she pulled the golden chopstick.

She had the power. But she wouldn't let it get to her head. No sir.

"As the King ….. let's see…. Number five must drop a cup full of ice cubes down their pants! And let them melt there!"

See? Not power hungry at all?

Yu was her unfortunate victim. But the straight-laced teenager took it with a calm face. Even as the freezing ice water trickled down his pants. He didn't even blink. It was actually kind of weird. Like seriously, no reaction at all? This guy was really something. Then again, now that Minako looked at him, his face did look a little flushed. Oh great, he was probably as drunk as the others. And they weren't even drinking alcohol.

The commands escalated as soon as Rise was given the crown. The inebriated idol stood up with as much elegance as she could given her intoxication.

"Pocky game! I command my subjects to play the pocky game! Number six and eight!"

The stakes were high. Minako looked around the table. Each of the players were fully concentrated on their numbers. Finally, Minako looked down at her own. She uncovered the number to reveal …. A six.

Oh. Oh no.

Her eyes darted from her chopstick up to the group. She scanned each of their faces to see who her dreaded partner would be. Chie sighed of relief. Yukiko drunkenly giggled. Yu's face was stone cold as always. Yosuke actually looked somewhat disappointed. But there was one reddened face in the group that was not due to the influence of 'alcohol'.

Naoto Shirogane.

"Th-this is ridiculous!" He resisted. His flustered voice seemed to have gone an octave higher. "I-I have no need to take part in this!"

"The King's word is law!" Rise battled.

"Sh-shut up!" Kanji, who had regained consciousness after Teddie's attack, defended Naoto. "He doesn't have to do anything he doesn't want to!"

"C'mon Naoto, it's just a game!" Yukiko slurred. "Or…. Is this your kiss?"

His face reddened even more, as did Kanji's. Naoto lowered his cap over his eyes, as if contemplating. Soon he was done deliberating.

"Alright, fine. Let's just get this over with."

That was not the answer Minako was looking for.

"Wait, are you serious?!" Now Minako was fighting. "B-but we don't even have any pocky…."

"Actually…" Yosuke was hesitant, but he took out a red snack box from his pocket. "I was saving this just in case we had another Mystery Food X….."

Minako didn't notice the dirty looks Chie and Yukiko were giving them. She didn't care. Her head began to spin. Finally, she gave in.

"Aki, please forgive me…"

Somewhere around the world, a silver-haired man sneezed.

The pocky was in place between the two. Minako on the chocolate covered side, Naoto on the other. They stared each other down in trepidation. With such a short distance between them, she couldn't help but notice how feminine his face was. If he was a girl, he'd definitely be a knockout. But Minako pushed these thoughts aside. She ignored her surroundings and just shut her eyes. All she was focusing on was nibbling at the delicious chocolate. She took larger and larger bites until she felt something soft against her lips. These were not Naoto Shirogane's lips. In his place, Minako imagined her beloved Akihiko and their own first kiss. A bit awkward at first, but eventually their bodies began to warm up. Minako became more daring. She draped her arms around his neck and took a more aggressive approach. She pushed her tongue forward into what she assumed to be Akihiko's mouth. Her partner gasped, pulling away and left Minako with her tongue hanging out. Literally.

"And Minako Amada wins the game!" Rise babbled like an idiot. The crowd cheered at the scene. Minako with her tongue still out. Naoto shivering in a corner. And Kanji just stared at them with this huge blush on his face with his hands covering his nether regions.

Yeah. Minako was going to kill someone.

"On to round five!"

She had decided to give up. Screw it, let's just get this over with.

"Who's the King?"

Out of nowhere, Yu reached for a pair for a pair of glasses from his back pocket. That's odd. Minako didn't know he wore glasses. He flaunted his chopstick in the air. Under the influence of the alcohol, Minako supposed, he was acting more and more ….. what's the word? Show-offy? Minako couldn't think of anything better. He found a dart out of thin air and threw it at the dartboard, selecting his next number. They all held their breath.

"Number two."

A scared gasp.

"My lap is yours." Yu announced as he settled himself comfortably in his seat. His victim cowered in embarrassment. Chie was hesitant, but at the urging of Yukiko and Rise, shakily lowered herself onto his lap. She cringed in embarrassment for a full second before jumping off.

"No, no, no!" Yukiko cried. She gathered herself from her seat before plopping onto Yu's lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. "You gotta do it like this!"

"Oooh, ooh! Me next!" Rise took her turn, cuddling herself on his lap. All the while, Yu kept up his taciturn stare. This guy sure was something.

.

"Ahaha, me next! Me!" Yukiko yelled. "I'm the King! Actually, the Queen!"

"You didn't even draw a chopstick!" Yosuke burst her bubble.

But Yukiko ignored him. "Alright, then …. Let's have someone talk about something really embarrassing that they'd never wanna tell anyone!"

They were really just throwing away the rules of the game at this point, huh?

"Hmmm, let's see … Ah! Naoto-kun! I choose you!"

Was she calling out her Pokemon or something?

Yosuke sighed. "Just ignore her, Naoto-kun…."

"No…" Naoto replied, surprising everyone. "No, that won't be necessary."

"….Really?"

"One stipulation, though: If I do this, the rest of you must reveal something as well."

"Okaayyy!" Rise agreed for all of them. Sure. Not like Minako had a say in any of this.

"Well, apart from the …ahem, show earlier…." At the mention of it, both he and Minako blushed. "No other embarrassing experiences come to mind… Would discussing my life be fair game? It's the rare situation like this that gives me call to speak of such things."

"Damn …. Way to kill the mood…"

Naoto told the tale of the Shirogane family that has been full of detectives for generations. They would often lend their powers to the police from time to time. In the days where there was no such thing as crime scene investigators, consulting detectives were considered valuable. His grandfather was also a detective, and taught him everything he knew, despite Naoto's age. As investigators were now well versed in science and medicine, Naoto had to up the ante in his studies to meet up with the standards of a good detective.

"That sounds tough…" Yosuke grimaced. Everyone else nodded their heads in agreement. It didn't seem like Naoto ever allowed himself a chance to have fun with people his own age.

"….."

"…"

"….That's it?" Yosuke asked. "No punch line?"

Naoto blushed a bit. "Ahm… I fear you may be looking to the wrong person for that."

He got that right.

But Yukiko still laughed. "That's sooooo embarrassing! Isn't Naoto-kun embarrassing?"

He really wasn't.

"Well then, it's your turn now. A straight answer, please." Naoto commanded. They all nodded their heads in agreement.

"What is your true involvement with the murder case?"

Minako spit out her drink. But that wasn't the most surprising statement/ question she heard that night.

"Weeeeeeeeell…." Yukiko started. This wasn't going to be good. "We go rescuing people who've been kidnapped by jumping into the TV!"

She choked again. But wait. There was more coming.

"And theeen, we do stuff like 'Persona!' with our Personas and beat the crap outta Shadows…."

At this point, Minako almost believed she had fainted. She was seeing double. Maybe she was the drunk one and imagined this entire conversation.

Naoto sighed. "Are you making fun of me?"

"Ish true!" Rise, who previously in an alcohol-induced coma, jumped from her seat. "Personaaaa!"

And then she fell back asleep.

"…I see now that you had no intention of telling me the truth." Naoto sighed again. Minako thought about it. Maybe … they were lying after all? Maybe they just heard those words from somewhere in their drunken state?

"But I'm curious… How did you become so inebriated? This isn't alcohol."

Bells rang inside Minako's head. Warning bells. Bells that said 'THIS INFORMATION IS YOUR GOLDEN TICKET TO SOLVING THIS CASE'. It couldn't be more clearer than that.

She just couldn't believe it though. To think another group of high school students were in almost the exact position she and her friends were in years prior…. It was unthinkable.

She could only hope they didn't suffer nearly as much loss as she did that year.

.

Wooo! The plot is actually moving! And guess what? I can't promise anything because I'm still working out the timing in the game plot, but I think a certain someone might be making their appearance soon…

I will get on that as soon as I can. If I can squeeze out another chapter by Thursday, then awesome. However, I can't make any promises. And this weekend is AnimeNEXT in NJ soooo… yeah, I'm supr excited to go, so writing's not exactly on my mind. But the week after, I'm pretty much golden!

Thank you for all reviews, views, follows, favorites, and suggestions for the dares! They were all helpful, but special thanks to carminagadeliica, Eirawen28, one of many Guests for I have incorporated your dares. Thank you very much.

Oh and special thanks to Roxas Sandwich just for making me feel good about myself. You called my writing inspirational, which it's not, but you're officially my favorite person on here.


	30. Late Night Musings on Moonlight Bridge

Thanks for this chapter goes out to Mewmew. I feel bad for taking your suggestion verbatim, but your idea was too good to leave it out.

Eirawen28, don't worry she knows exactly what's going on. She was just in a bit of denial, that's all.

And to Guest-chan who pointed out that Minako technically cheated on Aki….yeah I didn't think of that. Oh if only Aki will forgive her mistake …. Spoiler alert, he does.

.

Making their way back to the hotel with three sobering 'drunks' was not the gang's best adventures. Minako considered buying a few leashes to keep them from falling behind. Yosuke said he'd even pay for them. Kanji, as per usual, got the short end of the stick and ended up giving Rise a piggy back ride to their destination. It was either Rise or Yu, who was clinging to Yosuke for some reason and 'didn't want the bad man carrying him'. Yukiko was like a walking corpse with Chie and Minako at her sides, practically holding onto her so she wouldn't fall flat on her face. Then there was Naoto trailing behind them awkwardly, as they had all left the club at the same time and were heading for the same location.

Apart from the light snoring from Rise and incessant giggling from Teddie, it was a long, quiet walk back to the hotel. No word about what was brought up earlier was spoken. Though Minako was desperate for answers. Were they really fighting shadows in the TV world that Minako found so long ago? Where did their Personas come from? Were they in danger?

Minako knew the answer to the last question. Of course they were in danger. There was always danger when dealing with shadows.

Sneaking back into the hotel was actually pretty easy, considering the hotel's usual clientele. The boys and girls made their separate ways to their respective rooms. Kanji handed the snoozing Rise off to Minako, who carried the idol with ease despite her petite stature. Must've been all that muscle training from Tartarus.

They all collapsed on the huge bed they were all forced to share. This was a love hotel, after all. They only put one king-sized bed in each room. The girls didn't mind sharing. The boys probably had their reservations.

But Minako couldn't sleep. Her mind was everywhere. She tossed and turned, trying to lull herself into sleep, but to no avail. Eventually, she gave up. She dressed in casual clothing and set off.

Chie heard the door close, as she was not fully asleep. Worried for her friend, she motioned to get out of bed and follow her. However a groggy Yukiko stopped her.

"…Chie? I don't feel too good….."

Oh no…. was she feeling hungover? Choosing to care for her best friend in her weakened state, she grabbed her cell phone. She called the first number that came to mind.

"….What is it Chie?" A gruff voice answered.

"Yosuke, I'm worried about Minako-chan. She just left the room and I don't know where she's going. Can you go after her?"

"I can't, I'm stuck with Yu. Why can't you go?"

"I'm stuck with Yukiko."

"…yo, Kanji." Yosuke spoke on the other line, no doubt prodding his underclassman awake.

"….."

"Okay, Kanji's going after her."

"Thanks Yosuke."

"…No problem."

.

Kanji mumbled under his breath.

'Why am I always stuck doing the work?'

Currently, he was tailing Minako for the past half hour. The girl was acting strangely for some reason. Where was she heading? That's what Kanji was going to find out. Minako turned right at the corner. Kanji also turned right. She made a sharp left; so did he. After blindly following her for so long, she finally stopped. That's when Kanji realized where they were.

'Isn't this the bridge that connects the island to the city? What did Rise call it? Moon something….'

The bridge was empty. No cars passed. No pedestrians on the road. It was midnight, after all. But Minako stood in the middle of the bridge. Then her legs gave out, and she fell to the ground. That's when Kanji went running.

"Yo! Minako!" He yelled at the top of his lungs, surprising her. "What's wrong?! Are you hurt?!"

"Kanji-kun….. what're you doing here?" She asked weakly, not getting up from the ground. Kanji knelt down and grabbed her by the arms, picking her up on her feet.

"Chie-senpai called. She saw you leave and was worried about you."

Minako didn't say another word. She focused her eyes onto a spot on the ground. It was then that Kanji noticed the tears rolling down her cheeks.

"You're crying….."

She turned away, not looking him in the eye. "It's nothing…."

"Obviously it ain't nothing if you're crying! Tell me what's wrong!"

She let out a few more sniffles before going quiet on him. After about a full minute of silence, Kanji was ready to drag her back to the hotel. Then she decided to speak.

"I … I'm actually from here…."

"….Huh?"

"I grew up in Iwatodai. But I left the city after …." She hesitated for a moment. Kanji made a motion to coax her.

"…After what?"

"After my parents died on the very bridge."

Kanji gasped. "Shit! I…. I'm sorry. You don't want to talk about that…"

Minako shook her head. "No … it's okay. It's better to let it out. It's … cathartic."

"… okay."

"I had a brother too." Kanji furrowed his brow. Didn't she mean Ken? "He was my twin actually. But I lost him too. Years after I decided to come back here for a year."

"You came back?"

She nodded. "So much happened that year. Before I came back, I was closed off to everything. Nobody really mattered to me. But it was more like … I was too afraid to get close to anybody. In my mind, there a cloud of death hanging over me. Anyone who dared to get close would only get hurt. I didn't want that …. So I didn't make friends."

"….." Kanji wasn't sure what to say next, so he decided to let her continue her tale.

"But when I came, I actually did end up in an amazing group of friends. They sort of forced their way into my life. I hated it at first, but now I can't imagine my life without them. With their help, I managed to change. I woke up in the morning, and I was happy. I became more involved in school and with friends. And we did some amazing things …."

Like save the world.

"Of course, things weren't always great. We all had our hardships, and we all did our best to support one another. But life happens. We all lost someone important to us that year. Mitsuru lost her father. Junpei lost the woman he loved. Aki lost his best friend. And I … lost my brother for the second time."

"Minako….."

"We all lost the will to live at some point during that year. Sometimes more than once. It … was a painful year, but we had each other. We were never alone and that's what matters. Even now, we're apart but we'll always have each other in our hearts…. I'm sorry, that sounds so cheesy, doesn't it?" She smiled weakly, contradicting the tears in her eyes. Kanji shook his head.

"It's not. I only wish I could have a friendship that strong."

She laughed at his words. This laugh wasn't hollow, but completely genuine.

"You already do."

Kanji blinked, processing her words. Then it hit him. He did have that. He had his own group of friends that would help him in a heartbeat. Despite the rumors floating around them, they are able to look past his exterior and accept his personality as a whole. He had Yu to turn to when certain events resurfaced memories of his father's death. He had Rise to keep him company in school when everyone else stayed away from him. He had Yosuke who would always pick on him, but that just proved that he wasn't afraid of him. Chie and Yukiko were always there for him to help give him some insight on the inner workings of girls. Teddie may not let him touch his soft fur, but he was just as active a part in Kanji's life as any other.

These were his own precious friends.

And now he had Minako too. Minako, who chose to bare her soul to him, of all people.

"….thank you, Minako."

She cocked her head to the side. Her eyes were still red and puffy, but her tears were dried for the most part. "For what?"

"Nothing, just …. Thanks."

She smiled gently. "Your welcome, I guess."

"We should probably get going. Tomorrow's the last day of the trip an' all." Kanji motioned to leave. He only made a couple of steps until he felt a tug of his arm.

"Wait."

He turned back to her, looking her in the eye. "What is it?"

"I ….. I know you guys are doing something."

"Huh…? Whatdya mean?" Kanji asked dumbfounded.

"You're doing something dangerous."

"I … I don't know what you're talking about." He played dumb. Did she know about the TV world? Sure, Yukiko drunkenly spilled the details, but Minako wouldn't have understood what she was talking about …. right?

"I won't tell you to stop. Just ….please be safe."

"…" Kanji wasn't sure what to say. Minako shouldn't have known about their TV adventures. It would be impossible for a normal person to understand. Naoto proved that theory when he thought they were making fun of him. So what made Minako so special?

"…. Ok."

.

When everyone went to Hagakure for their last day, Minako stayed behind. She put a smile on her face and urged the others to enjoy their day, including a worried Kanji, while she finished packing. As soon as they left, however, she made a beeline for the door herself. There wasn't anywhere in particular she needed to go. She just needed some time for herself in her old town.

The first place she visited was the alley in Paulownia Mall. As she thought, the door to the Velvet Room wasn't there. It wasn't there during graduation either. But she still needed to check.

The next place she visited was her old dorm. Thankfully, no students occupied the dorm. It was meant solely for SEES. Before the Inaba investigation started, Ken and Koromaru lived in the dorm by themselves. Sure, the graduated members would still visit, and occasionally spend the night, but it must've been lonely for them. Maybe that was why Ken was so on board for this mission.

The last place was one that brought on some of the most painful memories, besides Moonlight Bridge. But it was still a place she needed to see. Getting off the monorail at Port Island Station, she stopped at the nearby flower shop to get a small bouquet. Nothing fancy or girly. She kept it simple. She ducked behind the alleyway where a lot of thugs were giving her the evil eye. Some snickered. Others whistled. But Minako didn't give them a second glance. She made it to her destination. A dirty corner next to the underground bar. She set her bouquet gracefully on top of the barrels where Shinjiro usually lounged on. She crouched down and said her prayers, ignoring the jeers of the on looking punks. Then she stood up to leave, but not before shooting the dirtiest look those punks have ever seen.

.

I seriously didn't know how to end this chapter. But hey, it's up! Woo.


	31. Plot Filler

"Persona-users?"

"Yup."

"And you're positive about this?"

"They practically admitted it right then and there."

"Wait, they confessed directly to your face?" Ken interjected. The 'Amadas' were currently holding an impromptu conference with Mitsuru via speakerphone. Minako broke the news about the Investigation Team's role in the murder case and Shadow activity. Suffice to say, this information was a major breakthrough in their own case. So many of the pieces were clicking into place, but there was some information that was still missing.

"Not exactly…"

"Minako, you've outdone yourself." Mitsuru's voice chimed in through the phone's speaker. "To collect so much information in one night after months of inactivity. This truly is an amazing breakthrough."

"It was nothing but luck. I was just in the right place at the right time."

Who knew that the right place would be Club Escapade with a group of drunken teenagers?

"Regardless, without this we would still be wandering aimlessly. Now we know who to watch out for."

"Yes."

Minako looked down at the floor solemnly. When she first walked into this town, she didn't expect to make friends with a bunch of high schoolers. But they _were_ her friends, and somewhere along the line they roped themselves into this mess. It wasn't exactly her job to get them out of it, but it was her duty as a friend to help them out. She didn't want them to have to makes sacrifices like she did that year. She didn't want to see them lose one of their own. But try as she may, she couldn't protect their innocence.

.

The days were becoming more and more monotonous as Minako and Ken waited for the next move. With the supposed killer now indisposed, however, they weren't sure what that next move was. Minako could do nothing but watch over her Inaba friends from afar. And they weren't even doing anything particularly interesting, either. Sure, she and Ken occasionally stopped by the Dojima residence for dinner along with Adachi. And she sometimes bumped into them at Junes. But it wasn't until one night when certain events arisen.

"Good evening, and welcome to Niteline's special Nitewatch Report."

It started with the Inaba news.

"Tonight's report will focus on the Detective Prince, Naoto Shirogane, whose handsome looks are sweeping the nation."

Minako did a double take. Naoto? He didn't seem the type who would like media coverage. What was he doing on a TV interview?

"First, congratulations to you and the police for your recent arrest of the culprit. It was well-known that there were a lot of mysteries surrounding the case, and you did a great job of clearing it up."

"I would hesitate to say that the matter is 'cleared up' as such."

What? What was he talking about?

"It's true that our suspect was behind Mr. Morooka's unfortunate death. But when I cast my eye over the case as a whole, I detect a few things that seem out of place."

Ken appeared behind Minako, sitting down at the table in front of the television.

"Does he know?"

She shook her head. "He shouldn't. He heard about the Persona business from Yukiko and Rise, but he didn't exactly take them seriously."

"Maybe he was rethinking it."

"Maybe… I guess he's just naturally intuitive."

….

A comfortable silence fell over the two.

"…. So that's the guy you made out with?"

Minako jumped from her seat. Anger was quite literally seeping out of her eyes.

"Ken!" Said boy also jumped from his seat and was quick to run away.

"Get back here! I just need to hit you!"

.

Naoto didn't go to school the next day. Minako thought nothing of it until the day after. He didn't show up again.

And it was raining, too. It may have been a while, but Minako and Ken decided to watch the Midnight Channel that night. They settled on the couch together, with Koromaru cuddled between the two. Almost as if they were snuggling up for a family movie night. All they needed was some popcorn. This time, something different showed up for them. The signal was faint, and the image was kind of fuzzy, but they definitely saw someone on the other side. It only showed up for a few seconds, but Minako was quick to memorize its contents. Short hair, skinny body, unassuming characteristics. It would be hard to figure out who this was. But …

"That person…. They looked kind of familiar."

"Hm? You know who it was?" Ken asked eagerly. She just shook her head.

"I'm not sure …. The figure looked kind of androgynous so it was hard to tell….."

"But why did they appear on the TV? It seemed kind of ominous. Kind of like …"

"Kind of like a warning?" Minako put it together.

"Right."

"… I think it's going to rain tomorrow, too. Maybe we'll be able to tell who it was."

.

He didn't come today either. Minako found it odd that such a serious person like Naoto would skip school twice in a row. Or at all for that matter. It only furthered her suspicions about the figure on the Midnight Channel.

Speaking of which, Minako and Ken huddled on the floor again, this time much closer to the television itself. They didn't want to miss any little details, after all. However, when the clock struck midnight and the TV started flickering, they realized there was no need. The image that was shown was extremely vivid; definitely clearer than last night's static. It appeared to be … a laboratory? There was some kind of mechanized operating table that looked more like some kind of sci-fi torture chamber. All in all, it was a pretty weird sight. And the person who stepped into the camera shot was … Naoto? Minako expected this. But not in this strange context. What was he doing in a laboratory? And what was with that lab coat?

"Good evening, everyone." He spoke in a humorous voice, kind of like a mad scientist. While it was befitting the scene, it didn't match with Naoto's character at all. He seemed to be acting very childish. "I am the Detective Prince, Naoto Shirogane."

Even the show itself was weird. The signal was choppy, the lighting was horribly cheap, and the camera work was shoddy. Amateur work. But Minako digressed.

"Welcome to 'Experiment of the Century: The Genome Project.'"

Uh oh.

"I will be experimentor and experimentee both, in a forbidden yet wonderful bodily alteration process!"

This sounded like it would end very badly.

"Minako… what was that?"

"…. Holy shit."

"What did that mean?"

She finally understood what the drunkards were talking about. Naoto was…

"…thrown into the TV."

"What?"

"Naoto was thrown into the TV."

.

I really dislike this chapter. This is probably the longest I've gone without an update and I give you some of my worst writing. I suck. I'm pretty clogged up. I just want to jump into the action but there's still a lot that needs to happen before certain events arise. I'll try to hurry it up, but things might come out all choppy and, well, not good.

In regards to the break in between chapters, I blame all distractions from writing towards Love Live. Seriously. I play it on my tablet, run out of LP, then switch to my phone and do the same. Then rinse and repeat. I have an illness.


	32. Drunk Adachi is Creepy

I'm a terrible person. I keep making you guys wait longer and longer for chapters. At first, it was because I couldn't think of anything to write. Then I got back into the gaming world. Then, when I actually wanted to write, I got computer troubles. Things are still kind of fritzy on my end, so I'm posting this chapter ASAP and switching to my mom's laptop.

I really hate going on a long break from writing. I want to finish this story. Maybe even start another. But the good news is that I'm quitting my job. Well, that's bad news on my part, but good in that I have more time to write. So no more breaks! It's gonna be one chapter after another from here on after.

.

"Really?! We're just going to stand down when there's a person trapped somewhere in that world?!" Ken screamed.

Ken was never the type to argue, but he could be when someone's life was on the line. This was one of those instances. Now previously in the story, the only person who refused to traverse through the unknown of the TV world was Mitsuru Kirijo. But this was not who Ken was arguing with.

"This isn't our fight." Minako combatted.

"A person's life is in danger!" He rebutted rather quickly, having seemed to gain momentum. She sighed deeply, trying to remain calm while her patience was tested.

"You're going to have to trust them on this. They know what they're doing."

And by 'them', Minako was obviously referring to Inaba's own ragtag group of Persona users. She didn't forget their words at Club Escapade. They were the ones who rescued the kidnapped people by jumping into the TV. The victims were quite literally thrown inside of the TV. This explained all of the missing persons reports from early in the year. They couldn't be easily found because they were in a completely different world that no one would believe. Yu and the others must've found some kind of connection between the murders/kidnappings and the TV; the only plausible one would be the Midnight Channel.

They had more time to understand the link between the worlds. They have seen what was inside of that world. And they've done this before. If Minako had to rely on anyone, it'd be them.

"Just believe in them."

.

"Heyyy, welcome back!" Came the drunken hello of Tohru Adachi.

It had been about two weeks since the midnight program. In those two weeks, Minako had seen neither hide nor hair of Yu or his friends. She wasn't sure what to make of it, but soon decided it to be a good thing as they were hopefully making way to rescue Naoto. On this particular day, Minako and Ken stumbled upon Yu as he was leaving the Junes superstore. He looked rather ragged and exhausted, which was odd considering it hadn't been long since school was let out. He still retained his manners and even invited them to dinner at his house.

Of course, they didn't expect to be greeted by a drunk Adachi.

"C'mon, take a seat." He urged them to sit with him at the table. There were probably five empty beer cans on the table. Judging by the gentle swaying of his body versus Dojima's usual stone-faced look, they were more than likely all consumed by Adachi himself.

"Here, Minako-chan! I saved you a cushion next to me." He patted the seat next to him. She grimaced, but didn't want to upset the intoxicated officer, so she took her seat.

"They found Naoto-kun! He just up and vanished without a word, but it looks like he's back now."

"Really?" Ken and Minako asked simultaneously, prompting an odd look from Dojima. Yu didn't look as surprised, though.

"I'm relieved." He said with a smile. But something about it prompted suspicion in Dojima's eyes.

"… You don't seem surprised."

"Huh?" Yu was caught off-guard.

"You didn't already know he was found, did you?"

Minako was just as surprised as Yu was by his uncle's words. Did Dojima suspect Yu? But they were family, right?

The atmosphere between them grew tense. Everyone but Adachi got the memo.

"Awww, you really oughtta do somethin' bout that habit of yours, Dojima'san." He broke the silence, slurring his words while wrapping an arm around Minako's shoulders. She tensed up, obviously uncomfortable with this kind of touching. "They go to the same school. Rumors spread fast out here, y'know."

"Adachi…" Dojima growled. "Hands off the underage girl."

The drunkard was obviously scared off by his superior and immediately dropped his arm. Minako quietly sighed of relief, scooting just an inch away from him.

'Thank you, Dojima-san.'

"But man, why'd Naoto-kun disappear anyway?" Adachi's simple remark caused the tension to rise again. "I guess he can be a little difficult… maybe he got sulky after being given the boot and ran away from home? But I tell you, I was shocked to hear he up and vanished like that. If there'd been a fourth kidnapping and murder, we'd be back to square one again…"

"Adachi…" Dojima warned him, but Adachi wouldn't stop talking.

"You know what sucks? We still don't have proof that the Kubo kid murdered anyone besides Mr. Morooka."

"Adachi."

"I wonder if Dojima-san's instinct is right … Maybe there really is another perp out there. The real one …."

"Adachi! How many times I gotta say it?! Quit running your mouth like that in front of civs!"

Wait, he did this often? Spilling random information about their murder case in front of civilians? Damn, they could've taken advantage of this a long time ago!

"Alright see here!" Dojima's commanding voice scared the living daylight's out of Minako. "Don't worry about the case. Just go study like a normal student."

Was he referring to Yu? Did he suspect Yu's role in all of this?

"If you don't …." He started, but then stopped himself. Dojima sighed. "I'm going to bed."

He left upstairs without a second glance. Wow, that was really awkward.

"Um… we're going to leave, too." Minako said, getting up from her cushion. Ken mimicked her moment. Before drunk! Adachi tried to get her to stay, she practically bolted towards the entrance. Not even glancing behind her to see if Ken was there with her, Minako made a run for it. Why?

Because drunk! Adachi was creepy as hell.

.

"Look, there's Naoto-kun!"

He was waiting for them at the school front gate. Them consisting of Yu, Yosuke, Chie, Yukiko, and Minako who tagged along on the walk to school.

"Are you feeling better now?" Chie asked. He nodded his head with a tip of his hat.

"Yes, thanks to all of you."

Minako pretended not to understand that last statement. Or notice the way Yosuke's eyes bugged out when he thought Naoto would talk about his rescue in front of her. But Naoto was smarter than that.

"Hey, it's the Detective Prince."

A random side character pointed Naoto out subtly. And by subtly, he really may as well as have been right next time when he loudly commented.

"That's no prince. I heard 'he's' a she!"

… Huh? Who would really believe a silly rumor like that? People these days ….

…..

Wait.

Minako did a double take at Naoto. He wasn't denying it.

Or rather, she wasn't denying it.

"My, my …. News spreads so quickly…." She spoke softly.

"We're on your side." Yu was as supportive as ever. It was only then when everything really kicked in for Minako. Her voice went up an octave. Her long eyelashes were more noticeable, when they were previously blocked by the rim of her hat. A light pink blush dusted over her cheeks when Yu spoke kind words, making her look even more feminine. She was definitely, inexplicably, no doubt about it female.

"Wait …" Minako thought a loud. "But that means …"

She gasped. The others seemed a bit spooked by her expression until Yosuke connected the dots.

"Holy shit, you kissed a girl!" He screamed loudly, gathering attention to their group. Both Minako and Naoto tensed up, turning matching shades of ridiculously bright red.

"Shut up, Yosuke!"

"Hey, that's Senpai to you!"

.

A rather eventful morning was followed by a rather uneventful afternoon. Minako effectively destroyed any start of a rumor about her and Naoto before the mayhem even began. Well, it was more like Kanji did the destroying, but it was effective nonetheless. But the rest of the day was pretty boring. Then someone stopped her on the walk back home.

"Hey! Minako-chan!" A voice called out to her. She turned her head to find Inaba Police's power duo consisting of Dojima and Adachi. She hadn't seen much of them since that awkward last meeting. She couldn't exactly shy away from them, so she put her best smile on her face.

"Hello, Dojima-san, Adachi-san. What brings you here?"

She didn't notice until they got closer, but she saw the angry glare that Dojima was giving to nobody in particular. He was obviously pissed off, but with what? Minako's first thought was something Adachi did. But if it was Adachi, he would probably be cowering in fear behind him. No, something was off.

"…. Is something wrong?" She asked hesitantly.

"… Where are your friends?"

"Hm? They're at Junes, why?"

"Maybe you should go meet them there."

He was trying to get her out of the area. Something was definitely wrong.

"…. What's going on, Dojima-san?" She asked, dropping the innocent girl act. Both men seemed somewhat taken aback by her more serious demeanor, but she couldn't stay out of the loop. Not when this could involve her.

"A suspicious person has been sighted in the neighborhood. For your sake, I want you away from the area as soon as possible." Dojima switched to his authoritative detective voice, almost like he was trying to scare her away. It didn't work.

"Where?"

"….."

"Where, Dojima-san?!"

"….. In front of your house."

"Please, Minako-chan." Adachi, who had kept quiet throughout this interaction, let himself be known. "We'll get rid of this guy before you know it. Just stay here."

"No."

"What?!" Dojima was beginning to get at his wit's end. "Minako-chan, this is serious police business!"

She ran up ahead of him, making her way towards her house. "I need to protect my home. I'm going with you."

"No, I won't allow it." He cried out, following her with Adachi in tow.

"You have to."

"I won't."

"I'm not taking no for answer."

"Neither will I!"

"Too bad, we're already here!"

… Inaba Police was outmaneuvered by a teenage girl. That's not very good publicity.

Dojima let out what sounded like a mix between a groan and snarl. "Fine, but just stay behind us!"

"Can do."

The newly formed trio approached the house and the figure that now came into view. Whoever it was, they were seated on the curb right in front of her house. Not exactly hiding. They were wearing a hood, so their face wasn't visible, but it was definitely a man. His arms were bare and his muscles were obviously. Actually, it seemed like his chest was bare too. Was he even wearing a shirt? Actually, what _was _he wearing? Minako thought a jacket at first, but as they got closer, it seemed more like a hooded cape. It was tattered, too. His pants were a little torn as well and his left leg was bandaged.

Dojima and Adachi stopped about ten away from the stranger, but Minako came closer. Upon closer inspection, she found part of his face that wasn't covered by his hood. A small patch of hair on his chin a large white bandage on his right cheek. Another bandage? There was one person she knew that perpetually needed to bandage random parts of his body. One she was quite familiar with.

"Aki?"

.

There. That should get you guys to forgive me. AKIHIKO'S HERE.

I have two more story ideas in my head that I want to start writing. One's Persona, the other's not. The Persona one is Minako-centric because that's who I write best. The pairings will be kinda reverse harem, with lots of fluff for any couple that people request, but I will start a poll to see who she should be with in the end.

The second fic is for a game that I'm not sure everyone would know. It's Fable 3, so if you're not interested that's okay, but I'm probably going to start this one first. It's a period piece about a princess who starts a revolution against her brother the King, and I just love that kind of topic so I'm more interested in that one.

Once I start, I think I'll actually try cycling off, and writing a chapter for each story every week. Hopefully. But the second Persona fic I expect to run for a while. This fic is more than halfway done. I expected the end of the P3 side to be the halfway mark, but the P4 side is going on longer than expected. So I'm not really sure how much longer this is going to get. I really didn't expect to write over 70,000 words for a fic. I'm kinda proud of myself.

And Mewmew, I can most certainly try my hand at writing some one-shots for you.


	33. Reunited and It Feels So Good

EDIT: To anyone who read this chapter when it was first published, I'm sorry for the giant block of text that was this chapter. What happened was my brother had to reboot my computer so I lost Microsoft Word which I usually use to write out the story. All I had was WordPad so I finished the chapter on that and published it this morning right before I headed off to work. I guess I saved it in the wrong format or something because all the spacing, punctuation marks and quotations just disappeared. So for those who read this mess of a chapter before I fixed it, I'm sorry and thank you for letting me know my mistake. I hope it never happens again.

.

"Aki!" Minako cried out, running towards the man she longed for all this time. Akihiko stood up, dropping down the hood. He caught her in a tight embrace, like in those romantic movies just without that weird spinning movement actors do to make it more whimsical.

"It s been too long." He mumbled into her hair, not wanting to let go of her. She nuzzled her head into his chest, silently agreeing with him. The familiar musky scent of sweat wafted to her nose. While it would probably disgust most girls, Minako secretly loved it. It was distinctly Akihiko.

The snuggling fest continued.

"Ahem." A throat cleared behind them, reminding Minako of the other presences. They reluctantly split up as Minako awkwardly turned around to Dojima and Adachi. Both men had matching confused expressions that clearly screamed 'What the hell is going on?!'.

"Oh um ..." Akihiko narrowed his eyes as he sized the two men up.

"And who are they?" He asked bitterly, as if locating hostile enemies.

"Ah this is my neighbor, Dojima-san and his partner Adachi-san. Dojima-san, this is-" Minako cut herself off. How was she supposed to introduce him? She could say he was a relative, though he looked absolutely nothing like her or Ken. He could simply be a friend of the family coming to see how they were doing. Or she could-

"Akihiko Sanada. I'm Minako s boyfriend." Or they could do that. The initial reaction of the two detectives was a shared look of disbelief. Followed by confusion. Followed by realization. Followed by...

"Just how old are you?"

Yeah, it could only go downhill from here.

"H-hey, Dojima-san! It looks like the whole suspicion person was just a misunderstanding, so you two can go back to the station now! There's absolutely nothing to worry about here!" She said with a little too much pep to believe. Being the Ace Detective that he was, Dojima saw right through it.

"Actually, we finished up our paperwork early. Slow day. So we can stay and chat with your boyfriend for a while."

Why did it feel like she was introducing her boyfriend to her father?

For the time being, Minako let the three men into her home and set off to the kitchen to make tea. Unfortunately, that left the three together alone ... in silence.

"Sooooo..." Adachi started awkwardly. "What's with the outfit?"

Akihiko seemed bewildered for a moment. "Oh? What about it?"

"It looks freaking weird is what he's saying!" Minako shouted from the kitchen. She came into the living room and set the tea kettle and cups on the table. "And I agree by the way."

"What?! What s wrong with it?"

"For starters, you're wearing a cape."

"So?"

"So you're wearing a cape. Why are you wearing a cape? Does it increase your agility? Speed? Does it increase your aerodynamics?" Minako fired off mockingly. While the detectives witnessed this endearing interaction between the loving couple, they also managed to find a rare sight: Akihiko Sanada blushing. Well, it wasn't rare to Minako, who constantly made him blush in their first few months of dating.

"...No."

Minako nodded her head triumphantly while pouring the tea for her guests. "That's right. You look like some kind of RPG character. Now go change, you look ridiculuous."

"Yeah ... about that."

"What about it?"

Akihiko scratched his head sheepishly. "I kinda left my suitcase on the train."

"You did what?!"

"I was so anxious to see you again! As soon as we reached the station, I bolted to the door and kinda forgot it there." Minako sighed as she palmed her forehead. Akihiko was never one to make a mistake like that, but it happens from time to time.

"I guess we gotta call the transit company. Hopefully, no one stole it or something." She started to stand up and search for the phone, but Dojima stopped her.

"It's okay, I can handle this. I know a buddy at the station who can track it down for you." He said, pulling his cell phone out and flipping it open, ready to dial.

"That is very kind of you, Dojima-san. Thank you for your help." Akihiko thanked him formally. After spending some time with Minako, he began to mellow in the presence of the two strangers. Regardless, Minako still got up and pulled a light jacket over her uniform.

"Well, you still need something for now. I can t have you walking around town dressed like that. I m going to Junes."

"I'll go with you." Akihiko started to follow her, but she stopped him in his tracks.

"What did I just say? You can t walk around town like that. People will talk. Besides, you need to entertain our guests." Minako smiled slyly. The look on Akihiko s face was priceless; like that of an abandoned puppy.

After finishing his phone call, Dojima plopped back down on his seat. "That's right, I d still like the chance to get to know you. You will be staying here, I presume?"

Akihiko nodded.

"Then we're neighbors for the time being. While Minako-chan goes out, we can have a little talk."

"In that case," Adachi squeaked, beginning to move for the door. "I don t need to stay. I can just stay out of your hair." But Dojima made a grab for his coat and sat him back down.

"No. Stay." Wow. This man to man conversation was sure to be intense. Minako almost felt bad to leave Akihiko behind. Almost. He's a big, strong man. He can handle Dojima.

.

"Minako-chan!" A voice rang out from across the department store. She slowly turned to the source; Rise Kujikawa, who was followed by the rest of their friends. Minako mentally noted that Naoto was now among them.

"What're you doing here?" Rise asked with the usual bounce in her step.

"Oh, you know, just the usual shopping..." She said ambiguously, holding the men's sweatpants and t-shirt to her chest.

"... In the men's department?"

Minako twitched. "Ah- urm, I'm just picking out a couple extra clothes for Ken. He somehow manages to destroy all his clothes as soon as he gets them! Ahaha ..." That was such a lame cover-up. Anyone could've caught it.

In this case, it was Yu. "Those seem too big for Ken..."

"Oh? Ah- You're right. Um..."

She couldn't think of any more excuses. Why couldn't she think of anything else to say? She did nothing but stare down at her shoes while the group waited for her to say something.

"... I gotta go!" And she bolted with the clothes in hand to a register far, far away from them. They didn't need Ace Detective Naoto Shirogane on their side to figure out that Minako was hiding something from them.

.

"I'm back!" Minako called out at the entryway, kicking off her shoes. She heard laughter coming from the living room; a good sign. As she entered the room, the first thing that caught her eye was a string of empty beer cans. Male bonding always starts with alcohol.

"Ah, Minako-chan! Good timing!" Dojima called out. He and Akihiko both had beers in theirs and smiles on their faces as they laughed together. Adachi sat at the edge of the table, also sipping his beer as he watched the men talk with boredom in his eyes. "Akihiko's been telling us stories about his training journeys."

The two seemed to be enjoying themselves. She had to admit, it felt good seeing Akihiko mix in with the people of her Inaba life. The friends she'd made here were just as precious as the friends she'd found in Iwatodai, believe it or not. But there was an underlying sense of guilt she felt for hiding so many parts of her life. She couldn't even reveal her real name because of this investigation. If her secret were to exposed, it could ruin every bond that she'd made here.

These thought remained on the surface of her mind constantly. But for this moment, she pushed them back and merely enjoyed her time with the people in her life.

.

I was gonna make this longer, but I didn't want to make you guys wait even more so here it is.  
While I write the next chapter, I'm also going to start a series of one-shots all about Minako's relationships with some of the characters from both games. I will switch off from P3 to P4. Essentially, Minako will be the protagonist in both games and this fic will explore her social links with whichever characters I feel like pairing up with her at the time. If there's a certain couple someone wants to read that I didn't already plan out, just request it and I'll try my best! The only character I'm most hesitant to write is Teddie because I just do not write him well at all. But if I have to, I will.


	34. SO SORRY THIS IS AN AUTHORS NOTE

So here's the thing; I'm tapped out. I still have maybe one more plotline I could do before the story goes on exactly like the game. Which I don't want. And after seeing what I've written before, I'm not too happy with this story. I want to rewrite all the way from the beginning of the P3 side. Deepen the backstory. I'm not giving up on this fic, but since I just recently restarted school I won't be able to give quick updates.

I do have a decent little chunk of a one-shot written focusing on Minako (if she were the P4 protag) and Yosuke. It may take more time but I plan to publish it soon and maybe more one-shots featuring various couples. Some stories may have the slightest taste of smut. Just the slightest because I've never written smut before. To whoever asked a LONG time ago, (I'm so sorry I'm only getting back now) these one-shots will NOT include PQ because I have not finished the game, and I'm honestly not as invested in the new characters, Zen and Rei, to include them.

So I need some insight. Should I rewrite this fic? If I do rewrite it, I will start from the beginning so the loose ends right now will remain loose until I get back to the place in the story. And if I rewrite, do you guys want me to keep the original up? I would be hesitant to delete it because I have such sweet reviews and I don't want to lose them.

Seriously though, you guys are great. I have no confidence in my writing at all but you still read it and I'm just so happy. Whatever you guys want, I'll do it. I'M NOT GIVING UP ON THIS I SWEAR I WANT TO FINISH IT.


	35. SNEAK PEAK

Sooooooooo …. I kinda started rewriting the very first chapter. For the readers who wanted me to continue where I left off, I'm sorry but I think I wrote myself into a corner. And the only way to get out of it is to start all the way from the beginning. I don't want to continue writing and spoil whatever plans I have for this fic. I gotta keep you guys on the edge of your seat.

I'm posting what I have so far as a sneak peek to get you guys pumped up and some others to be on board my rewriting plan. The new version will be more dramatic and angsty but I will still have Minako spouting out her sarcastic quips because I like her that way. I am trying my best to bring new angles into this story so that the story isn't exactly like game. You will be able to read one of those angles in this sneak peek!

Without further ado, here is the peek to the new version of "The Masks We Wear", which I'm not sure what to rename.

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"Due to a malfunction in the switching system, today's rail schedule has been greatly altered. We apologize to any customers in a hurry. The next stop is Iwatodai…"

Shit. She was almost there.

Inside the New City passenger train Anehazuru sat a young girl in a school uniform, surrounded by a sea of strangers. The pony-tailed brunette was in for a long ride and was lucky enough to find a vacant seat early in her journey. Not she would show happiness for any aspect of this trip. Her stomach turned at the thought of her destination. She turned her mp3 onto the highest volume to calm her nerves, up to the point where her seat neighbors could hear every word the powerful female voice was singing_. "I will-"_

'Burn my dread.'

_'I once ran away__  
__From the god of fear__  
__And he chained me to despair_'

Tatsumi Port Island. Iwatodai. Gekkoukan High. It was a whole 'new' world for her.

Yeah. Right.

Why was she going back _there_?

"_I-It's a very respectable school, Minako-chan. It would bring you closer to Tokyo University! I know you'll do great things there."_

Bullshit. They just wanted to get her as far away from their family as possible. Minako Arisato had been bounced around from home to home long enough to know when she'd overstayed their welcome. Which often wasn't long. Tokyo University? It was never her dream. Just another ploy to send her away. Nobody cared about her anymore. The ones who did were long gone now.

The train reached the end of the tunnel when the lights of the city skyline against the midnight blue sky shined through the windows. There she could see the silhouette of the bridge. She remembered that place very well. Better than she would have liked to.

_'(Burn my dread)__  
__I will break the chain and run,__  
__'till I see the sunlight again -___

_I'll lift my face,__  
__and run to the sunlight...'_

_Dammit, if only she could run. If only she had the courage to run._

"Iwatodai. This is the final train bound for Iwatodai. Please take care to board before our departure."

The conductor's voice was drowned out by the ocean of people spilling out of the train, leaving only Minako seated, having not heard the conductor's announcement. One of her seatmates, an older man maybe mid-forties, turned back to face her, as if to give her a heads up, but the young girl seemed to move on her own, shoving her way past the man who only tried to show some common courtesy.

The large digital clock in the station flashed 11:58.

She was late. She would wake up the entire dorm at this rate. A rude awakening to start off their meeting was definitely not something Minako was rooting for. It was bad enough she was here, but she certainly didn't want to make any enemies. Or friends. The less friends she made, the better reason to leave as soon as the year was up.

The seconds wasted away. Minako could hear the ticking clock echo through her ears.

'11:59.'

Wait a minute. The station's clock was digital. There was no clockwork inside to make a sound. So _where_ was the sound coming from? The ticking grew louder. A ghostly moan sounded louder and louder by the second. And then everything stopped.

'12:00.'

The lights powered down first. The smallest hum of a power line Minako wouldn't have heard before turned down. Though she had her eyes wide open, all she could see was pitch black. Then, it was almost as if her eyes seemed to reset themselves into night-seeing vision. Her environment was now just barely visible and tinted a deep shade of green. But that's wasn't the only odd thing.

The sea of people that previously occupied the station lobby have disappeared, leaving Minako alone with a cemetery's worth of coffins. Her breathing turned ragged.

She had seen this before.

"Ah… ah …." Her panting grew louder. She was surrounded by them. Her first instinct was to run, so that's exactly what she did. Minako zigged and zagged around the coffins as fast as she could with the station entrance as her destination. Then her foot slipped. She could feel the shock of pain as her ankle twisted in a way no body part should go. The pain of her injury sent Minako down to the ground, sitting in the puddle that caused her fall. She had her eyes shut tightly while she breathed through the pain. When she opened her eyes, however, all she found was a vision of bright red. The puddle that she slipped in….. the stains it produced on her skin…. Everything was red.

She screamed.

.

Turn the clock just a few minutes back.

Outside the station doors, a young man leaned against a column. His calm and demeanor coupled with his broad and muscled physique certainly made him quite a head-turner. The passengers of the late arriving train, female and male alike, agreed. The silver-haired man caused many faces to blush just from passing by him, and yet his gaze would not break away from the station's entrance.

'She's late.'

Akihiko Sanada broke his staring contest with the door to look down at his watch. It was almost midnight. Which meant he had to kill more time during the Dark Hour. Perfect.

Why did Mitsuru ask him to pick up the transfer student again? Welcoming new students was a task more suited for the Student Council President than for the self-denied protein junkie. Not that Mitsuru was elected yet, but the election's pretty much in the bag for her. Even Takeba, the social butterfly that she was, was more suited for this kind of duty. Akihiko grumbled quietly to himself as the Dark Hour passed over him. He wasn't even phased by the transition anymore. The people that passed by him earlier has already transmogrified and he didn't even blink. He simply sighed and shifted in place.

'What should I do for the next hour?' He thought to himself as he looked up at the nearly full moon.

That's when the sound of a scream on the other side of the door. And he immediately leapt into action.

.

Ta-dah!


End file.
